Laughing During Sex: It is Normal?

Believe it or not, laughing during sex is not uncommon, but doesn't it just make you cringe with horror? You're intimate with your partner, laying out your best moves, when all of a sudden, a giggle escapes. From you or from your partner, it really doesn't matter; either way, it's bound to spoil the mood.

Although this isn't a hot topic in science, laughing during sex has both physical and psychological roots. There are several reasons why both men and women might feel a case of the giggles coming on before, during or after sex, and here are a few, just to put your mind at ease:

1. Nervousness

Sex is a highly stressful event for people who haven't been together for long. You're still trying to figure out one another's "buttons", and you might feel self-conscious or anxious during sex. Even if you aren't intellectually aware that you're nervous, your sub-conscious is feeling anxiety and fear.

One of our psychological escape routes is through laughter. Have you ever been extremely worried about something, but when everything works out all right, you burst into laughter? This is common because your body is making a release; you've been filled with tension for an extended period of time, and when you finally realize that you aren't going to die, you have to release that tension in one way or another.

2. Sensitivity

Sex is a powerful experience for everyone involved, and it is when people are most sensitive to touch. Depending on how "into the moment" you are, every inch of your skin can become an erogenous zone. The problem is that, if touched just a certain way, you might be sensitive enough to be ticklish.

This is especially true of the lower abdomen and inner thighs because those are the areas that become most sensitive to contact. When your partner touches you, you might just have to laugh because you are so ticklish; this isn't abnormal at all. You might remain in this heightened state of sensitivity even after sex as you are coming down from the moment.

3. Orgasm

Just as many people have been known to cry during and after orgasm, it is also possible to laugh. Depending on how your body reacts to orgasm, you might crave a second release: laughter. It's your body's way of telling you that you've reached that much-desired climax, and now it's time to release the built-up tension.

4. You're Having Fun

If you are one of those oh-so-lucky people who have fun during sex, then you might feel the need to laugh. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you don't realize how lost you've become in one another until both of you have climaxed and it's over. At that point - and again, a form of release - you might feel the need to laugh.

It is true that women are more prone to laughing (or crying) during sex than are men, but both genders have been known to do it from time to time. The most important thing to remember is that it is entirely normal, and you shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed for having done it.

If you know that you are prone to laughing during sex, it might not be a bad idea to warn a new partner. Let them know that you aren't laughing at them at all, but that you have enjoyed your time so much that it is impossible to hold it in. Furthermore, you shouldn't try to stop yourself from laughing during sex; it's a healthy expression of your enjoyment, and should not be suppressed.