Winter is cumming! As temperatures go down, our desire to get hot and heavy under the blankets with someone rises. After all, sharing body heat is the ultimate way of getting warm. They don’t call winter the “cuffing season” for nothing. Right?

Or, do you happen to experience the opposite? As the temperatures drop, so does your sex drive. The moody winter days and lack of sunlight can lead to a state of lethargy. Plus, no one wants to take their clothes off when it’s cold (modern heating aside).

Truth is, winter may affect your sex drive in surprising ways - sometimes it heightens it and sometimes it has the opposite effect. And sometimes you may not even be aware of any changes at all.

But you do not want to miss out on winter sex - it’s fun, gets your heart pumping, and produces those feel-good hormones that can help you combat the sluggishness of winter blues.

Here’s how to make winter sex hot!

First, let’s understand how winter may affect your sex drive.

The seasonal changes in the environment have a direct impact on our bodies. With the winter cold comes dry skin, chapped lips, shorter days, and changes to our libido.

One of the biggest changes that occurs with the arrival of winter is the diminished exposure to sunlight. The lack of sunlight leads to a decrease in the Vitamin D levels on our body. And a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research linked low levels of Vitamin D with erectile dysfunction. While on the other hand, during the cold months of winter testosterone levels are at its peak. Given that testosterone is associated with male sex drive, higher levels of testosterone might mean that men experience a heightened sex drive in winter.

 The lack of sunlight may also be a trigger for the seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression that becomes more pronounced during the dark winter months. According to the International Society for Sexual Health, people who suffer from SAD may experience feelings of fatigue, sadness, and lose interest in sex or feel too lethargic for any sexual activity.

There are also other environmental and social factors that affect these libido changes. For example, we are bundled in layers of clothes in the winter to keep us warm, decreasing sexual stimuli.

The cold, dark, and moody winter days may not help to get you in the mood for some sexy time - it can be hard being in a sexy mood when you are shivering. But there are a few things you can do to change that (things besides raising the heater temperature).

When it’s cold outside, you yearn to be in a cosy and warm environment. Grab some soft blankets, dim the lights, pop open a bottle of champagne, and light some scented candles (or the fireplace!) to create a sexy atmosphere. Cheers to the start of a great night!

Cuddling up with a cup of hot chocolate will surely warm you up. But did you know that cocoa is also an aphrodisiac? Great news for chocolate lovers! Chocolate releases the aphrodisiac substance phenylethylamine and serotonin, providing some mood-lifting effects. Oh, and you could go from sipping hot chocolate from a cup to licking it off each other’s body.

Before stripping down to your birthday suit.. hold on. The feet play a big role in regulating the body’s internal temperature. Especially for people with vulvas , it’s important to feel comfortable and relaxed in order to reach an orgasm. And a study conducted by the university of Groningen in the Netherlands found that couples who had their socks on during sex were 30% more likely to orgasm. Winter is the perfect time for testing this hypothesis.

Remember: sharing body heat is the ultimate way of getting warm. So, winter sex begs for positions that require a lot of touching and staying close. Instead of trying to recreate some cool Kamasutra style, opt for positions like spooning, missionary, and lotus. These positions can be easily pulled off under a blanket - for that extra layer of touch, warmth and intimacy.

Passionately making love under the blankets is very romantic, and exploring new kinks in the bedroom is a sure way to turn up the heat and get your libido interested. Don’t be afraid to spice things up a bit. This can be anything you are comfortable with - from introducing a blindfold to your sexual répertoire, playing a sex game, or experimenting with temperature play, like pouring wax over each other’s body. We even created a kinky guide to light up your imagination ;)

Feeling excited to turn the heat up on your winter sex life? One last thing though.

Imagine this: You’ve set the mood, got the blindfold ready, and when things are starting to heat up, you realize you’re out of condoms or lube.. Yikes.

It’s best to be prepared. And Frenchie got your back. Be sure to stock up for those fiery winter nights.