10 Reasons Married Sex Is 100X Better Than ANY Other Sex, HANDS DOWN

Married sex is like the redheaded stepchild of the booty world, at least according to TV and movies. In that world, married sex is overly lit and played for laughs, whereas all the other kinds of sex — casual sex, new sex, cheating sex, ex sex — get the sultry soundtrack and rumpled sheets.

So we're here to remind you of ten reasons why married sex is awesome. 

1. You have advanced degrees in each other's bodies.

You know where to let your hands wander and where not to. Your partner knows exactly what you like and what you can't stand, so you won't ever again have to figure out a nice way of saying, "What's that weird thing you keep doing with your nose during oral sex? And can you please not do it ever again?"

2. Good sex can happen fast when you need it to.

Those advanced degrees mean that sex doesn't always need to take an hour. Because five minutes of getting the job done is better than 45 minutes of ineffectual dilly-dallying, especially when you have to be up with the birds the next morning. Also, it's OK to say, "Wanna have sex as soon as my show is finished?" In fact, sometimes that's all it takes to get in the mood.

3. Sex can be hilarious.

All the stuff that used to mortify you when you were single and dating is now more entertaining than a reel of news bloopers: unexpected bodily emissions (a well-timed queef can be entertaining for days), trying and failing at a complicated position, accidentally getting certain substances in your ear during the money shot, a pillow that keeps getting in your way like an unwelcome third wheel, and so on.

4. You can be fully in the moment.

Yeah, yeah, we know there are kids and work problems and dirty laundry and all the usual life stuff that can distract you from good sex. That's life. But you're not distracted by thinking, Does this person really like me? I wonder if I'll ever hear from them again? I wonder what they think of my boob size/penis size/oral technique? Should I stay the night? Will I climax? Did they just wince when I got near their nipples?

5. You make your own normal.

Forget about the Joneses — they're not sleeping in your bed. When you're married, you're each other's yardstick for what's "normal." If you like sex once a month and the two of you agree on this, then that's your normal. If you both like a strict diet of missionary, then that's cool, too. You swing every other Friday with the neighbors? Then it's just your typical Friday night.

Whatever positions, whatever schedule, whatever approach — whatever works for the two of you is all good, and screw everyone else.

6. Kink works better.

Really naughty sex requires negotiation, communication, and trust. When you're married, you (should) have these things in spades, and they're not buzz kills, either.

So you can experiment with bondage, power roles, sharing fantasies and even pain, and it's much less likely that someone will end up in the emergency room or in tears. Plus, the more intimate and domestic and settled your day-to-day life is, the hotter it is to break out the handcuffs at night.

7. STDs are a thing of the past.

So long, condoms. So long, crabs. So long, douchey partners who lie about their sexual history. So long, that late-night panic of "Is that herpes or just a really big pimple?!"

8. You've trained each other to have simultaneous orgasms.

Sure, these aren't guaranteed with married sex, but the more times you sleep with the same person — someone you love and trust and are committed to — the more likely this is to happen.

You know each other's timing, each other's bodies, and each other's hot spots, and you'll be comfortable bringing vibrating toys to bed to help even the orgasmic playing field. You're comfortable doing that, yes? Because if you're not, then you're not doing married sex right.

9. You can take each other for granted.

Not that you should do this all the time, but you're allowed to do it some of the time. Assuming you have a healthy marriage and you communicate well and often, sex will probably be there for you when you need it, at least at some point, even if it's not as often as you'd like.

You don't need to hit the town and hope you get lucky. You don't always need to shave your legs. You don't need to suck in your stomach and present your good side. But beware: If you take married sex (or your married love) for granted too often, you may find married sex less reliable than it used to be.

10. You can get better.

Sex doesn't automatically get better over time, but it does if you want it to. And having sex doesn't necessarily make you better at sex. After all, everyone is different in bed. But having sex with the same person, over and over again, absolutely makes you better at having sex with that same person.

In other words, married people have no excuse not to be sex gods and goddesses, at least in the eyes of their spouse.

This article was originally published at Em & Lo. Reprinted with permission from the author.