Women want sex before bed while men want it in the morning, study finds

Couples with matching sex drives last longer, the study showed

Men and women want sex at different times ( PIERRE ANDRIEU/AFP/Getty Images)

They say women are from Venus and men are from Mars – but a new sex survey suggests that members of the opposite sex seem to operate in different time zones too.

While women like to get steamy between 11:21pm on average, men are more likely to be turned on at the rather inconvenient time of 7:54am.

These times fall into the broader timeslots of 11pm and 2am for women, and 6am and 9am for men.

And with the stresses of the day weighing on their minds, only 16 per cent of men want to have sex before they sleep.

It is not surprising then that the survey of 2,300 adults by sex toy brand Lovehoney also revealed that 68 per cent of women and 63 per cent of men have dated someone whose sex drive was not compatible with their own.

As many as 50 per cent of women and two-thirds of women said they and their partners wanted the same amount of sex.

The study also exposed the differences between men and women’s sex drives, with over half of men reporting that their sexual desire was constant, while 36 per cent of women said it was affected by their mood.

Lovehoney co-owner Richard Longhurst said: "This shows that there are big differences in sex o'clock between the sexes.

"Men are ready for sex just before breakfast whereas women most want passion last thing at night.

"What is encouraging is that most people tend to find sexual happiness in the end with a partner with similar needs."