For those with a New Year’s resolution to add a little spice to their life, a sex expert has revealed the kinkiest new bedroom trends for 2025.
Sexologist and relationship expert Dr. Jessica O’Reilly offers five “fresh approaches” to sex that she promises will lead to a more satisfying experience between the sheets.
To improve arousal and pleasure, Dr. O’Reilly advises trying “multisensory integration,” which involves stimulating sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell during sex.
This, he says, “will create richer and more satisfying experiences.”
Among her other top tips, Dr. O’Reilly advises people to incorporate adventurous positions, music, and even erotic art to improve their sex lives.
He wrote for Astro Glide: “As we approach 2025, New Year’s resolutions are starting to take center stage. Goals often relate to fitness, diet, finances, travel and daily practices, with health and self-improvement topping the list of planned commitments.
‘Relationships and sex may not be at the top of your resolutions even though prioritizing intimacy, pleasure and connection can be equally transformative.
“Of course, the best sex of your life is not just about the physical act itself, but is intertwined with emotional connection, exploring desires, cultivating trust, and embracing curiosity and joy.” .
Toronto-based Dr. Jessica O’Reilly advises trying “multisensory integration,” which involves stimulating sight, sound, touch, taste and smell during sex.
Estimates suggest that nearly 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, and sexual satisfaction – or rather dissatisfaction – is a major factor in ending it, so keeping things interesting in the bedroom could save the marriage.
Ignite the senses
To keep it spicy, Dr. O’Reilly recommends visual stimulation first. She suggests using “ambient lighting such as dimmable lamps, colored bulbs, or candles to create a visually appealing environment.”
For an even bolder approach, she says you can also consider “hanging erotic art or playing sexy videos in the background” while being intimate with your partner.
Next, Dr. O’Reilly recommends “hearing enhancement” and writes that sound can be arousing.
She advises making a music playlist with tracks that “move you.”
To ignite a little more passion, he adds: ‘You can opt for rhythms that guide your hips or symphonies that create crescendos of emotion.
“Use whispered affirmations and erotic storytelling to set the mood.”
Below, Dr. O’Reilly discusses how you can make contact more than just skin-to-skin with a variety of different objects, from textured bedding to silky lingerie.
The relationship expert explains: ‘Introduce varied textures through bedding, clothing and accessories.
‘Silk sheets, velvet cushions, or textured bandages and bras can provide novel sensations.
‘Incorporate temperature games with heated or cooled objects to stimulate nerve endings.’
To spice up the New Year, sexologist Dr. Jessica O’Reilly has revealed some of her top sex problems for 2025.
To “play with cooling sensations all over your body,” Dr. O’Reilly’s top tip is to keep lube in the refrigerator before a date.
In terms of igniting your sense of smell, her suggestions include scented candles, essential oils, and incense sticks.
And when it comes to which scent to choose, she says vanilla, jasmine, mint, and sandalwood are associated with increased arousal.
Finally, when it comes to incorporating flavor into sex, she suggests incorporating flavored lubricants, edible body paints, and aphrodisiac foods like oysters, chocolates, and strawberries into your routine.
And Dr. O’Reilly considers one bedroom tool essential: lubricant, which can be used for “sensory mapping.”
She explains: ‘Lubricant can be more than just a practical tool: it’s an invitation to explore your partner’s body in new and exciting ways through pleasure mapping.
‘This practice involves discovering areas of the body that provide greater pleasure when touched, kissed or stimulated.
“By adding a few drops of lubricant, you can intensify the sensations and transform even familiar areas into sources of unexpected pleasure.”
She suggests starting by applying a small amount of lubricant to various areas of your partner’s body, such as the neck, inner arms, lower back, or thighs.
Then, you can continue to “gently explore each area using your hands, lips, or even a makeup brush, while watching their reactions.”
To make the process more “playful and exploratory,” Dr. O’Reilly says you can invite your partner to close their eyes so they can “tune into the experience.”
Referring to the benefits of ‘sensory mapping’, he concludes: ‘It’s more than physical: it’s a way to deepen intimacy, understanding and connection.
“By combining touch with attentive listening to your partner’s responses, you create a shared journey of discovery, celebrating new paths to pleasure and strengthening your bond.”
Change oral sex
Two more sex tips from Dr. O’Reilly for 2025 discuss different methods of oral sex.
Their first technique, called “the joystick,” involves the recipient using their hands on the back of the donor’s head to move them “like a joystick, directing the pace, rhythm, and intensity to align with their desires.”
To further increase intimacy, Dr. O’Reilly advises maintaining eye contact when possible and for both parties to use “tempting verbal affirmations.”
Different sounds or words, he says, will allow the receiver to “communicate enthusiasm,” while the server can use them to “reinforce his willingness to give pleasure.”
Dr. O’Reilly predicts that the other type of oral sex that will be trendy in 2025 is “irrumatio.”
She explains that this is a variation in which the recipient takes the initiative, “guiding the movement as their penis enters their partner’s mouth at the pace and depth they prefer.”
Since this gives the recipient control, she cautions, as with any intimate activity, “open communication about desires, limits, and boundaries is essential before committing.”
In situations where safe verbal words may not be feasible, she advises establishing nonverbal cues, such as snapping your fingers or raising your hand, beforehand.
Go to the edge of pleasure
Dr. O’Reilly’s last big problem for the New Year is a sexual technique called “edging.”
Edging is the practice of stimulating yourself or your partner to the point of climax, but stopping just before reaching orgasm, resulting in greater sexual pleasure.
In addition to feeling a “localized intensity,” Dr. O’Reilly says this technique, which can be repeated multiple times, provides a “full-body wave of pleasure from prolonged stimulation.”
He adds: “In addition to the heightened physical sensations, the emotional strain of the edge can generate pleasure and connection to new heights.”
‘For couples, edging encourages communication, trust and intimacy by encouraging mutual exploration and anticipation. It can also allow for prolonged states of arousal to amplify desire and deepen emotional vulnerability.