Thekabarnews.com—A new assessment of relationships in the US shows that tiredness is a strong but unromantic element that affects couples nowadays. In a survey of 2,000 adults, one in four married or committed couples reported having sex once a month or less. Most respondents said they were generally satisfied with their sex lives. This statistic was surprising.

The study indicated that 71% of the people who participated stated their sex lives were gratifying. In addition, 43% said they were very satisfied. At the same time, 14% said they were unhappy. Couples said they had sex around four times a month. Each time it lasted about 18.6 minutes.

When asked what gets in the way of intimacy the most, 38% said being tired. Other big challenges included having different sex urges and health issues. Both affected 29% of people. Stress from work was next at 27%, while parental duties affected 22% of couples.

20% of people said that household responsibilities and money problems were to blame. 19% said that emotional distance was to blame. 18% said that different daily schedules made it challenging to be close to each other. 9% said that technology distractions, including smartphones and streaming services, made it difficult.

Age also had an effect on how often couples were intimate. Gen Z couples said they did it the most often, an average of 5.3 times a month. Millennials were close behind at 5.1. Older people had lower averages. This graph shows how energy levels and daily needs change as people get older.

The survey also linked behavior in the bedroom to behavior outside of it. Couples who had sex eight or more times a month said they went on an average of 3.5 date nights a month. Couples that had very little sex, classified as zero to one time per month, averaged only 1.2 date evenings.

There was a similar tendency in how people talked to each other. 35% of the most sexually active group said they texted all the time. In contrast, only 9% of individuals in the least sexually active group reported texting frequently.

Younger couples seemed to do more digital intimacy, such as sexting and video-call sex. However, the overall picture was still based on real life. When people are busy, fatigued, and have many things to do, they may not always have time for physical contact.

Experts believe the results demonstrate how work, family, and constant connectivity now compete with intimacy. Even though many couples are still happy emotionally, physical connection is becoming more and more dependent on energy, time, and effort.

The survey suggests that the primary obstacle to contemporary romance is not a lack of desire. Rather, it is the inherent challenge of making space for it.