10 ways your bedtime routine could be sabotaging your sex life

Whether you're in a long-term relationship or your partnership is still pretty new, most of us will agree that there's nothing sweeter than cuddling up next to that special someone after a long day. Maybe you look forward to your all-night Netflix sessions or having a pre-bed snack while you chat about your day … or you're totally comfortable lying side by side while you both browse your feeds.

Here's the thing: That cozy bedtime routine could actually be wrecking your sex life, and you might not even realize it. It's natural for passion to ebb and flow, especially in long-term relationships, but plenty of seemingly harmless bedroom habits are awful for your sex life.

INSIDER spoke with two relationship experts about the things that couples with great sex lives actually don't do in bed, and it turns out, we're likely all guilty of at least a few of them.

Here are the 10 things you're doing that are totally killing the mood in the bedroom.

You're keeping your devices by your bedside, and cuddling up with your phone instead of your significant other.

This is definitely something so many of us are guilty of, especially as we become increasingly tethered to our devices, but it's the number one surefire way to kill the mood. After all, when you're going down an Instagram rabbit hole of that distant relative or the person you met in college one time, you're not thinking about getting cozy with your boo.

"Electronic devices are huge distractions to relationships because they take away your ability to mindfully enjoy each other's company," explained Jonathan Bennett, a relationship counselor and author of the site Double Trust Dating.

He adds, "If you're laughing at memes, seeing who liked your recent status, or checking your work emails, there's no way you can fully focus on your partner. And, the more distracted you are, the less you feel like getting busy."

You're enjoying marathon Netflix sessions together.

Similarly, if you're delving into a new favorite binge watch, or simply watching reruns of "The Office" for the hundredth time, you're likely doing your sex life little favors.

Plenty of sleep experts and relationship experts alike have a more hardcore stance, believing that the bedroom should be for two things, and two things only: sleep and sex. Yep, that means no devices and no TV, which is definitely hard for most of us to abide by long-term.

However, it seems that not all bedtime TV sessions are detrimental. Bennett explained that it "largely depends on the content" of what you're choosing to watch.

"If you're watching a romantic comedy or a show that inspires romance and passion, it could actually help," he said. "But, if you're simply watching a regular movie or show and paying close attention to the fictional characters, it can get in the way of intimately connecting with the person right beside you in bed."

So instead of turning on the sitcoms or the intense dramas, maybe stick with something a little steamier. The "Fifty Shades" trilogy, anyone?

You're sharing your bed with pets or children.

Of course, this certainly excludes new parents or the occasional night spent comforting your little ones, but if you get in the habit of allowing pets or older children snuggle up with you every night, it's no secret that the chance for intimacy ends up tanking — big time.

"If you're inviting anyone else into the bed," and yes, this includes pets, "it distracts attention away from your partner and makes being intimate very difficult or even impossible," Bennett said. After all, "It's hard to be passionate when you're trying not to wake a kid or a dog is licking your feet," he said.

"Two's company and three's a crowd has never been more apt," adds relationship expert April Masini, who hosts an online relationship advice forum. "It's hard to break this habit with kids and pets, so reconsider starting this habit."

But if you've already gotten used to a crowded bed, Masini advised that you "impose boundaries so your pets and kids don't have free reign. Your bed should be sacred as a place for you as a couple — and if it's not, expect your sex life to wane."