Abstract
BackgroundNycthemeral (daily) oscillation has been documented in a variety of physiological and behavioral processes. The present study was carried out to evaluate the existence of a nycthemeral rhythm of human sexual behavior and to identify environmental factors responsible for the rhythmic pattern.MethodsNon-traditional university students (ages 18 to 51 years) recorded the times of day when they went to sleep, when they woke up, and when they had sex for 3 consecutive weeks. They also answered a questionnaire designed to identify the causes of their selection of time for sex.ResultsThe majority of sexual encounters took place at bedtime (11 pm to 1 am). The most common explanations for this temporal pattern were the rigidity of the professional work schedule and family obligations and the availability of the partner, which reduced the opportunity for sexual encounters at other times of the day.ConclusionMost sexual encounters take place around bedtime. Although the presence of an endogenous component responsible for this temporal pattern cannot be excluded, the evidence indicates strong environmental forcing, particularly from the work/family schedule of the individuals and from partner availability.
Highlights
Nycthemeral oscillation has been documented in a variety of physiological and behavioral processes
Part 1 there were not enough data for the analysis of the distribution of sexual encounters according to day of the week, the mean number of sexual encounters per week (2.3) was comparable to that found in the broader adult population of the United States [16]
The answers were categorized as "morning" (20%), "afternoon" (5%), "evening" (10%), and "night" (65%). This distribution is significantly different from a flat distribution (D = 0.400, p < 0.001) and is consistent with the results from Part 1
Summary
Nycthemeral (daily) oscillation has been documented in a variety of physiological and behavioral processes. The present study was carried out to evaluate the existence of a nycthemeral rhythm of human sexual behavior and to identify environmental factors responsible for the rhythmic pattern. Epidemiological studies have documented nycthemeral oscillation in a variety of aggregate variables, such as heart attacks [3,4,5], births [6,7,8], and suicides [9,10,11]. One study conducted in 1982 provided evidence of the existence of a nycthemeral rhythm of sexual activity in young married couples [12]. The present study sought to verify this nycthemeral rhythmicity in a sample of human adults with a wider age range and to identify environmental factors responsible for the rhythmic pattern
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