What’s the Best Time To Have Sex?

I’ve been a longtime advocate for morning sex, which has received some pushback through the years, particularly when it comes to people who think brushed teeth are a pre-requisite for sex. But nevertheless, I can’t help but think morning is the horniest time of day, even when that opinion is not shared by my lovers or now-wife. Forget the morning vs. afternoon vs. night sex debate though — we’re getting granular and specific. What is the best TIME — as in down to the hour/minute — to have sex? Of course, your answer may vary based on a variety of scenarios and variables, but for the purposes of this deeply scientific and serious article, I asked folks to turn off their over-thinking brains and commit to hyperspecific answers here. My friends and coworkers had a huge range of different answers, and I’m fascinated by how many of us are in sex time gap relationships! Here are our collective answers. Share yours in the comments, and let’s debate/discuss!


7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

I already said it up top: I love morning sex! I wake up with a LOT of energy, like the kind of energy most people do not achieve until two to three coffee cups in. I could do any number of things with that unbridled morning energy: hit the tennis court or have sex. The only reason I tend to do more of the former is because my wife (whose answers to this question are below) tends to think 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. is a time for rest and relaxation and not topping her energizer bunny of a wife. – Kayla

10 a.m., specifically on Sunday

The best time to have sex is Sunday at 10 a.m., which is both incontrovertibly true and also proof I am over 37, here is why: You did all the chores yesterday, so right away you’re off to a beautiful day, and now it’s 10am so you’ve already had your first coffee + a small carb AND you’ve brushed your teeth. Wow. The best part of sex at 10am on a Sunday is that, unless you’re on molly, you’ll almost certainly have enough time to grab brunch after. – Laneia

11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

It is scenario based, and frankly I’m down (SCENARIO DEPENDING) during any of my good hours from like…11-7. – Christina [Editor’s Note: It feels like cheating to pick an EIGHT HOUR range as an answer, but I will allow.]

11:30 a.m.

I still have energy from my morning caffeine, and I don’t have indigestion from any food I’ve eaten. My partner and I also both work from home so it can be pre-shower, but post-teeth brush. – Elise [Editor’s Note: The partner referenced here is Drew, whose answer to this question will be found closer to the end of this article.]

Noon

AKA brunch hour. Right after a nice breakfast or workout. – Quiniva

3:00 p.m.

Mid-day is the best time to have sex because you get the “scandal” of fucking while the sun is still up, have completed enough of your to-do list to deserve a treat but still have more to do that your freshly-laid brain/body will now have the energy to accomplish. You’re not too tired from a full day but you’re awake and put together enough to not feel too groggy or gross for morning sex. – Motti

3:30 p.m.

It is simply what my body desires but also objectively like; imagine this: having sex and then afterwards making dinner and then eating it???!! Can you imagine a better day? – Riese

4:00 p.m.

Late afternoon after a day on the lake. Sex followed immediately by a nap. So hmm what is that in the summer like 4 p.m., hour nap, dinner at 6? Who’s making it? Not me! – Becca

I love the idea of late afternoon fucking. Like… we could finish up work or get started on dishes or stop by the grocery store or whatever the hell is left on that days to-do list, or we could just jump into bed and fuck instead. That kind of spontaneous sex is the very best kind, in my opinion, and it’s only rivaled by late night post-bar fucking. – Kristen

6:00 p.m.

You’ve had an after work shower and a nice light early dinner, you need to release the tension of the day, and depending on if it’s a quickie or not you can still get to bed at a reasonable hour. – Autumn

6:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Fucking after cocktails and before dinner in the restaurant (or wherever you are) bathroom. – Quiniva

10:15 p.m.

At night is more fun, but I need enough time (45 mins is ample) to be asleep by 11 p.m. so I’m not tired in the morning and can have 6-7 hours sleep. – Kylo

11:30 p.m.

My ideal time is after being out at a restaurant/bar/concert/friend hang with my partner, because dressing up and being around other people and making eyes with your partner is like foreplay to the foreplay. But I’m going specifically with 11:30 p.m. because it’s late enough that the night was full, but early enough that I’m not too exhausted. – Drew, whose partner said 11:30 A.M.

Midnight

I’m a notorious night owl (though my wife is an admitted early bird), so my general preference for sex is pretty much always the witching hour. After a few beers, feeling sexy and brain-fuzzed, it’s a genuine delight to climb into bed and fuck before falling asleep all tangled up and sweaty. Tough to beat.  Kristen, whose wife (me, the author of this post!) said 7 a.m.

2:00 – 3:00 a.m.

Okay, actually, no one gave this answer. Which surprised me! But I do think it’s pretty common to have INCREDIBLE sex at 2-4ish in the morning and also have TERRIBLE sex at those hours, so I get why it’d be a risk to declare it a favorite time. – Kayla


So, what do you think? What’s the best time to have sex?

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Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya is the managing editor of Autostraddle and a lesbian writer of essays, fiction, and pop culture criticism living in Orlando. She is the former managing editor of TriQuarterly, and her short stories appear in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Joyland, Catapult, The Offing, The Rumpus, Cake Zine, and more. Some of her pop culture writing can be found at The A.V. Club, Vulture, The Cut, and others. When she is not writing, editing, or reading, she is probably playing tennis. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram and learn more about her work on her website.

Kayla has written 1013 articles for us.

2 Comments

  1. Oh my goodness…. Humanity sure is varied and sure has a wide range of excellent and terrible opinions. Morning and afternoon crowds, I’m with you!!! Quiniva’s answer I can also vibe with. Everyone after that…….. Well. Different strokes for different folks 🤪

  2. Love this post! Sorry to be a Debbie Downer..but genuinely want to give some advice on the teeth brushing issue. BV can be passed on via oral & you may not know you get it as it’s often asymptomatic. It’s not good to have obvs even w no symptoms, so better to brush teeth at least before sex to minimise bacteria (as transfer of bacteria from mouth to vagina can cause it even if you don’t have BV. Dental dams even better solution!
    Sorry but way too many people according to surveys don’t know about how BV is passed so I want to spread the word!

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