Sexual fantasizing is a totally normal and healthy part of human sexuality. Not only does it really help us get in the mood and increase the quality of our orgasms when masturbating, but it can also be a great way to explore elements of your sexuality that you’re not quite ready to try in real life. There are myriad other benefits, but I digress. The point is, we all have fantasies throughout our lives, but there comes a time when the level of those fantasies peaks — and it might actually surprise you.
An increase in sexual fantasizing tends to accompany an increase in libido, and that period comes later in life for women than it does for men. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality found that woman between the ages of 30 and 34 tend to experience a “sexual peak.” That’s when they’re more sexually active and also more interested in having sex.
However, further research from the University of Texas at Austin found that the period of heightened sexual fantasizing and higher sex drive actually comes between the ages of 27 and 45 — a much wider window than previously thought.
Why is this, you ask? It appears that as our fertility begins to wane, our desire to get our freak on goes through the roof. That means we have more sexual fantasies, more sexual desire, and tend to feel more sexually free than we did when we were younger. Interesting, right?
“As we age, we collect experiences, and with experiences comes new information, and new information can bring freedom,” Dr. Sophia Murphy tells The Healthy. “With the increase in access to information and more efforts to destigmatize sexual conversations, I think it’s likely that those socialized and raised as women will have their libido increase with age as they simply learn more.”
This makes so much sense!
