'Cuffing season' is the name for the phenomenon of increased relationship activity during the fall and winter months. People stop playing the field and swiping left and right as much, and 'settle down' for at least five or six months with one dependable person. And yes, being with this one person for a set period of time (whether planned for it or not) is why it's called 'cuffing' (as in handcuffs, just so we're clear).

The season runs from roughly October to April, and both proponents and experts believe it's an easy way to keep warm and fuzzy when it's cold outside. It's like hibernation without actual sleeping. Which makes sense since on really cold days, the last thing you want to do is leave the comfort of your nice, warm bed, especially if there is a nice, warm body right beside you that is going to help you feel even hotter quite quickly.

With climate playing a large role in reason for Cuffing Season's existence, it's one of the few sex and dating phenomenon's that can be seen as largely regional. If you live in a place where you can get away with shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of December, you might just be wondering what all the fuss is about. Meanwhile, anyone who shovels snow might think that finding anyone to help alleviate some pressure under all those layers of clothing would be the solution to all their problems.

Well there's definitely science to back up the fact that during the winter, the days are shorter and colder, and that there's a lot less sun shining down, and that's obviously something people grumble about. Not just because of increased cloud cover that results in snow, but because the earth is tilted away from the sun, which means the giant ball of flaming gas isn't as powerful or as bright as it is in the summer. And this isn't just losing the pleasant feeling of having the sun shine on you, because its rays turn the cholesterol in your skin cells into vitamin d, which is an important compound for bone health, cell regeneration and the strengthening of the overall immune system. You might say that with the loss of your usual source of vitamin D in the winter, you have to go find a replacement D to make up for it.

Another scientific part of it involves melatonin, essentially a chemical in the brain that increases relaxation, and the amount of it rises during shorter winter days, and that makes you lazier and less social. You'd much rather just stay at home, and wouldn't it be great if there was already someone here to just hang out with? Hormones, too, play a large role. There levels are very sensitive, and simply less light and lower temperatures can send them into a tailspin and send libido skyrocketing, and so we look to have sex with more regularity during the winter (and this typically means the same one person, as that is easier than finding a new partner every weekend or whatever).

Finally, sociologists have shown that people's sometimes simple brains play an odd role. With less people out in the streets during the cold weather, men and women begin to believe that there are less choices available for partners, and so we are in a rush to hook up with someone before there are no options left at all. It is essentially a matter of supply and demand, although we are only basing it on what we see when walk down the slightly emptier streets, not the common sense that would say more people are just in their houses.

Even people who call themselves 'winter people' still have to put on layers of clothing and shiver through snow and ice as the sun sets at a ridiculously early hour and we all have to deal with darkness and overcast and salt and slush at our doorsteps. And it feels so much worse when you come back to an empty house or apartment.

Cuddling up with someone under the covers is a great way to share body heat, with the added bonus of sexual fun that can make the both of you start to sweat. If you're going to be stuck inside because of the cold and snow, you may as well not be alone, and get yourself someone else to at least always have small talk with, or listen to your very witty comments about whatever you've just read on the internet.

If there are a lot of annoying little routines that no one really likes about winter, then adding in some fun sex routines with someone you're seeing on a regular basis can really make the whole five or six month period easier to deal with. It also helps that because both of you know that this is a cuffing season relationship, that there's a lot less pressure to make it into a long term thing. That's not to say it can't happen, though, as it can certainly grow into one. Thanks to dating websites and hookup apps, it's easier than ever to meet lots of different people for all sorts of reasons, whether a quick fling, an attempt at something more long term, or bonding over a shared love of absolutely anything. And just because it started in November doesn't mean it has to end when the weather finally warms up.

If the weather doesn't totally affect you, then Christmas parties and family will. Even though the knee-jerk thought of the holiday season is turkey, gifts, and silly sweaters, it doesn't take much to remember just how stressful and frustrating it can be. Sometimes you just want to complain about all the little things you have to remember, the gifts to buy (and not buy), the non-gift things you have to bring, and how bored you're going to be listening to your cousin go on and on about whatever their job is now. Having someone who can listen to all this, and then take your mind off it with some mindless great sex, is a wonderful thing.

Even putting aside the family commitments, going to Christmas party after Christmas party is pretty annoying after you've had your fill of shrimp and three or four alcoholic beverages. It's filled with okay food, repetitive conversations, sloppy drinking, and a big reminder of why you don't like your job in the first place.

Doing the whole thing with nobody at your side at all these social and family events can make them particularly arduous. Finding someone who you get along with in October means it's completely acceptable for them to accompany you to your work holiday party and a thanksgiving dinner (oh, and new years! Don't forget you have to have someone to go to New Year's with!). Sure it might throw so family members off if you're bringing someone you just met maybe five or six weeks ago, but if they're helping keep you in a much better mood through those three or four days at your parent's or uncle's house, then everyone's a winner (even your new partner, although it would help if they got along with some of your relatives)

The holidays are stressful, and sex is one of the best stress relievers out there, so if there's any one reason to be all cuffed up by December, this is the main one.

If it's a dating situation slightly borne out of desperation, that's completely fine, as many long term relationships have come out of the idea of having to compromise some of what you're looking for and instead widen the pool of available prospects.

Now that you know cuffing season is a thing, it's that much easier to plan for and to plan around it. You know how people used to hit the gym in the winter so they could have that great summer bod? Well now it's flipped, and maybe you're working out a lot more intensely in September and October (and hey, that's always a great place to meet prospect cuffing partners, since you already have one thing in common).

There is no official start to 'cuffing season', as it begins around that time when the nights are darn cold and the days can just slightly feel cold. When the sun goes down around dinnertime, that's another good indication that you should really start looking at some dating sites. In fact, some of these sites actually promote the start of the season, and they usually peg it for right after halloween. As if it's the next thing on the social calendar once you're finished wearing the silly costume.

While the first real signs of spring can happen as early as the first week or two of March, 'cuffing season' can linger on until the weather really does get warmer enough to once again have a drink on the patio. Going back to the science behind all this, the return of longer, sunnier days will be the biggest factor into you feeling a lot better about yourself, no cuffing partner required. But if they're still around come late April, what then?

Depending on how serious you both were when you started dating way, way back in October, it might be time to have a nice, final goodbye one night stand, or a serious discussion about where you want this relationship to go. And while it would be great if you were both on the same page through and through, it's always true that when it comes to relationships with loose, pre-determined expiry dates, the chances of hurting someone's feeling is always high. The important thing is to be honest, however, don't extend a seasonal romance past its expiry date if you are genuinely uninterested. It's nice that you don't to hurt their feelings at the moment, but it's only going to make it more difficult in the long run.

Since part of the focus on 'cuffing season' means having someone to keep warm with during those bleak, dark winter months, then it's reasonable to assume that with the hot, sunny days of summer, people are foregoing steady six-month relationships and are having sex all the time, all over the place, with as many different partners as possible. And while this is an exaggeration, the amount of different sexual partners people have certainly are certainly higher between May and September.

At the same time, in between these July and August flings, you might not be interested in getting into any sort of relationship at all. Perhaps the sun above you is giving you more than enough warmth and attention and another person in your life will just create more problems than they're worth. At least until October rolls around again.

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