8 Weird Things We Learnt from Sex Surveys This Year

1. The Color of Love?

What color room would you be most likely to get it on in? If you are anything like me, you were picturing a boudoir-esque red and black design, or an empowering hot pink and black lace theme. Apparently not. Shopping company Littlewoods revealed that men who have purple rooms have almost double the sex than those with blue or gray rooms. Red did rate highly too, though. That wasn’t the only odd finding, either. Apparently couples who opt for silk sheets have sex twice as often as those who stick with standard cotton or nylon sheets, with silk-lovers averaging 4.25 times per week. If you are looking to refresh your bedroom space, exploring different librarian survey findings or decorative accents might just make a surprising difference. New sheets, anyone?

2. Think of England…

Everyone’s heard the expression "sex on the brain" – but it appears that it isn’t quite as distracting as first imagined. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam found that when we think about sex, our bodies release hormones that actually help us concentrate and focus on complex cognitive challenges. They tested these theories with a series of challenging mental tasks as well as conventional exams, and found that those who had been thinking about intimacy performed noticeably better than anyone else. Next time you need a boost of concentration for a big test, a little romantic daydreaming might actually work in your favor.

3. Librarians Aren’t Quiet…

The naughty librarian cliché might seem odd, but it appears it could be closer to the truth than we imagined. A survey of over 5,000 librarians took place 20 years ago, and the results were considered so scandalous at the time that the researcher was sacked and the findings were never officially released. A copy has now resurfaced, and it’s emerged that 60% of librarians would like to marry Robert Redford, 18% Patrick Swayze and…oddly…3% Cher. Furthermore, 40% of the librarians admitted that they’d sleep with Peewee Herman if he was the last male on earth. Talk about unexpected survey results!

4. Europe is Best for Sexy Holidays

Last year, international brand Durex quizzed over 26,000 people across the globe on their sexual habits and overall relationship satisfaction. They then ranked the results by country, and revealed that the UK and US came bottom in terms of how often the participants had sex, and how much they enjoyed it. Greece topped the survey, with Brazil and Russia ranking just behind them, while Canada and Japan were also at the bottom of the list. So if you are planning a romantic getaway abroad, check out our guide to health research topics and consider the gorgeous beaches of Greece – if this sex survey is right, it should put you in the mood!

To compare how different survey topics stacked up, here is a quick breakdown of key findings:

5. More than You Bargained for

Researchers at the State University of New York completed a range of studies into the links between intimacy and physical health, and came up with some surprising results. One study of 300 women found that oral sex has surprising healing powers, and can rival chemical antidepressants! They concluded that semen contains natural forms of mood-boosting chemicals including estrone, oxytocin, antidepressant serotonin, and sleeping aid melatonin. For more insights on how physical wellness connects to emotional health, check out recession-related stress research.

6. Clock Watching

A women’s magazine gathered together 1,000 men and asked them about how long they’d like to have sex for, excluding time spent on foreplay. They were told to ignore their partner's feelings – and the results were somewhat surprising. While most of the men said they’d be happy with anything between 15 minutes and half an hour, 30 respondents said that they’d like to keep it under five minutes, and a fifth stated that over an hour was their target duration. Wow. Well, if you’ve got time to burn, there is certainly a wide spectrum of preferences out there!

7. Car, Bed or Sex?!

A US mattress firm recently surveyed thousands of American adults to find out what they looked forward to most in daily life. They found that 6 out of 10 men would prefer to have a good night’s sleep than sex – and for women, the figure was even higher still, at almost 8 out of 10. Additionally, 65% of those surveyed would rather give up sex for life than stop driving, and 86% would prefer a brand new Range Rover to a date with a supermodel. Um, okay then – definitely one of the oddest sex surveys ever recorded!

8. Recession Boosting

Have you noticed your urges growing as the economy plummets? According to researchers at the University of Kansas, sex drives actually peak during recessions – and rates of infidelity increase. It’s thought that this is a primal reaction to a threatening environment, with the urge to reproduce being driven by an evolutionary desire to continue our gene pool. Other social scientists claim it’s simply an inexpensive method of entertainment when household budgets tighten. Either way, everyone agrees that when times are hard, your bed is the best place to be.

Some sex survey questions are just downright bizarre, but most do tell us something fascinating about human nature and relationship dynamics – and I wonder how many bedrooms are now rocking purple walls and luxurious silk sheets?! Have you taken a bizarre sex survey, or heard some crazy research lately? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!