Couples get their intimate moments ruined almost 20 times a year: new survey

Couples are losing more than the mood: their intimate moments get interrupted 18 times a year on average, according to new research.A survey polling 1,000 Americans ages 25–54 and in a serious relationship found that for more than 1 in 4 of those who’ve been interrupted, the last interruption ended the moment for the night.Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Hunny Labs for its After Hours Report, the survey found that more than half (54%) of those who’ve been interrupted say an interruption leaves them feeling less close to their partner afterward.The survey, which followed a romantic moment from before it starts to the time right after, found that the most common interruption is the presence of children or someone else in the home (49%).Among interrupted parents with children under 18 at home, that jumps to 68%.One parent summed it up simply: “Children.

It’s always children.”“Couples don’t realize how much intimacy relies on the feeling that, for a little while, nothing else needs their attention,” said Brent Dyer, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Renewing Hope Counseling in Houston, who has completed Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.“When a kid needs something, a phone lights up in a buzz of urgency, or a game starts, the interruption might be minor and short, but the mental shift can be large.”The second most common interruption is one partner becoming too tired (39%), followed by a phone ringing or buzzing (35%).Other common interruptions were found to be noises from somewhere in the home (25%), a pet getting in the way (24%), a doorbell ringing or a delivery person arriving (22%), physical discomfort or awkward positioning (20%), and lingering thoughts of work or chores (19%).Speaking of pets — half (50%) of interrupted couples whose pet sleeps in the bedroom say they’ve had a pet disrupt things, compared to just 11% of those without a pet in the bedroom.

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