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Brits admit they hold back from making noise in the bedroom - heres why

A new UK sex survey has found that half of Brits feel self-conscious about the noises they make in the bedroom, with many holding back from fully expressing themselves

Half of Brits feel self-conscious about the noises they make in the bedroom, according to research. As a result, a quarter say they hold back from fully expressing themselves during intimate moments, the poll of 2,000 adults found.

More than half (55%) admitted theyve stifled sounds during sex at some point because they were worried about being overheard suggesting bedroom self-consciousness is still very real.

Gen Z appears to be driving much of this tension, with 67% saying theyve suppressed how expressive they are due to privacy concerns, compared with 47% of over-55s.

Lovehoney, which commissioned the research, is taking its no shame in making noise message to Wimbledon with a Strawberries & Scream bike set to appear around SW19.

[Lovehoney's 'strawberries and scream' bike]

Lovehoney wants people to embrace making noise in the bedroom(Image: Lovehoney)

The bike plays a 69-second track featuring grunts from the likes of Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, plus what Lovehoney claims was the loudest grunt in Wimbledon history from Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka, who reportedly hit 113 decibels in 2025.

Jo Connarty from the adult retailer, which has launched a new strawberry-inspired toy, said: Every summer we hear conversations about the sounds coming from Centre Court but very few people talk openly about the noises they make in the bedroom.

Strawberries & Scream was created to challenge that awkwardness in a fun and light-hearted way.

The soundtrack isn't about telling people how they should sound, it's about helping people feel more comfortable expressing pleasure naturally and confidently.

If some of the world's best athletes aren't afraid to vocalise when they're performing at the top of their game, perhaps the rest of us shouldn't be quite so embarrassed either.

However, according to experts, authentic moans serve an important role on and off the court. An international sports study by the University of Madrid and the University of Extremadura in Spain last year demonstrated that being vocal improves ball velocity by almost five%, with elite coaches encouraging their inclusion in matches for that reason.

[Lovehoney's 'strawberries and scream' bike]

Screams are proven to improve performance(Image: Lovehoney)

In parallel, sex experts say making noise at the point of climax activates the same nerve vibrations in the body, which can expand the impact of pleasure.

Indeed, 71% of respondents said they enjoy sex more when they and their partner are both making noise, while 63% say they personally enjoy it more when they are vocal.

Annabelle Knight, sex and relationship expert at Lovehoney, said: Whats interesting about tennis and sex noises is that they dont just sound alike, they can unlock positive effects in the body in similar ways too. Vocalisation in tennis increases the force of muscle contractions, meaning more powerful play.

At the same time, making noise in intimate moments activates the vagus nerve, which improves blood flow and sensitivity both of those things support orgasm, which is essentially a series of muscle contractions.

Noise, if its genuinely being made through pleasure and not being faked, can help to improve the force of these contractions.

Of course, everyone experiences pleasure differently. Some people are naturally vocal and others aren't. The important thing is that any sounds are authentic rather than something people feel pressured to do."

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