1. You’ll each be happier:

When you spend time each week with your spouse, you let them know they matter to you. And when they accept your invitation, you know they’re prioritizing you too. The effects of this have been measured. For women who spend time with their spouse every week, they are 4 times happier than women who don’t spend this kind of time with their mate. For men, they are 2.5 times happier than men who don’t focus on their spouse at least once a week.The data don’t say that couples are just happier with each other. The data say that the individuals are happier in general.

2. You’ll be investing in divorce-proofing your marriage:

This may seem obvious, but if you don’t spend time with your spouse, you’re more likely to contemplate divorce. Couples who don’t have at least one mutually meaningful connection a week are at greater risk for divorce. The women in these couples are 4 times more likely to initiate divorce and the men are 2.5 times more prone to initiate divorce when compared to couples who regularly take time every week to connect.

3. Your sex life will be better:

When you make the investment to consistently spend time together every week, you’ll feel closer to your mate and you’ll find them more attractive too. This combination makes for great sex! The research shows that sexual satisfaction for men is 3.3 times greater and for women is 3.5 times greater simply because of making the commitment to connect with each other every week

4. Women have increased satisfaction in their marriage:

Women tend to need more social connection than men. And when their spouse regularly prioritizes time with them, women generally feel more connected, supported, and safe. Social scientists have found that women who spend at least one period of “couple time” a week with their spouse are as much as 7 times happier in their marriage.

5. Your children will have a better childhood:

When you and your spouse are reaping the obvious and these subtle benefits of spending time together, you will be less likely to persistently argue. The decreased propensity for sustained tension in your household makes it easier for you both to establish warm, effective relationships with your children. When your kids feel confident in your love for them, they have fewer academic problems, fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and less anger and aggression in their peer relationships.

Although these 5 reasons why date night is important may not be well-known, they’re every bit as critical as the more commonly known.

Imagine…having just one date night every week will help you be better parents, make your sex life hotter, go a long way toward divorce-proofing your marriage and makes you both happier.

The benefits for having fun together as a couple are immense. And it’s most likely that they outweigh the benefits you receive from your over-scheduled calendar, taking your spouse or marriage for granted, or prioritizing someone or something else above your relationship with the person you chose to love for the rest of your life.

How often should married couples go on dates?

As often as possible? Sure. But what does that amount to? Let’s be realistic. Dates usually mean spending money. And if you have children, getting out the door becomes a lot less simple. Even if money’s not an object or you’re kid-less, if the dates are too frequent, you’re less likely to appreciate that special time together. So when it comes to dates it is possible to over do it.

There’s actually been research done on date night frequency and marriage success. About 10,000 married couples with a child were studied over a 10 year period. Findings showed that the magic number was once a month. There was no difference between couples that went on a date weekly vs. monthly. This is good news for the majority of people who don’t have the time or money (or energy!) to get out that often.

Here are a few tips for a successful date night:

Schedule it out!
Put it on the calendar. Book the babysitter. Make the reservation.

Get into a routine
Declare every other Saturday date night. You’ll be able to rely on that time together and look forward to it.

Ditch the mundane
Get dressed up. Go dancing. Leave the regular, every day behind (even just for 2 hours)!

Leave home at home
Try not to make your kids or your job the topic of discussion. Try to keep the dinner conversation fun and playful. You could play 20 questions or dare!

Want to plan an exciting Date Night? At The Couples Center, we offer special Date Night events for couples who are fun and intimate. Check out our Date Night page and make sure to sign up so you receive updates about future events.