Is Sleeping Naked Good for Your Health?

After the end of the long and tiring day, all of us want the embrace of deep sleep. While it is elusive for some who keep trying up with the seemingly endless solutions, others are much luckier in that regard. Not having good enough sleep is now being recognized as one of the major reasons for stress around the world.

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    If you have been curious about getting a good night’s sleep, you may have come across dozens of suggestions over how to do that, you may or may not have heard about this one — sleeping naked. But surprisingly, as exciting, simple and cost effective as it may sound, not a lot of people actually do it.

    So how is it that you go to sleep? Put yourself in cozy underpants? A long t-shirt and underwear? Or is it the proper pajamas? As naughty as it may sound, stick with us so we can find out why sleeping in the nude may be beneficial for you.


    So Sleeping in the Nude Is Good for Me?

    It is very important to keep your body temperature down when you go to sleep. A lower body temperature helps you sleep better and deep, as studies have confirmed over the years.  So what is the ideal temperature to help you snooze? About 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, and if you are laid down with bulky warm clothing, it may increase your body temperature and disrupt your sleep.

    One simple solution? Sleep in the nude. Because getting rid of clothes while sleeping can help regulate the body’s thermoregulation routine. So what is thermoregulation? It is a process that is an important factor in both you falling asleep and keeping you asleep. When you prepare to sleep, an expansion of the blood vessels expedites the heat loss, a drop in the body temperature, hence signaling the body to sleep.

    Once this temperature drops, it releases melatonin, which helps you sleep. The temperature remains low while you sleep, and only starts to rise when you are in the process of waking up. So, when you cover your body with clothes, they become external stimuli, and hence, your body temperature rises. And if your night clothing is too warm, it may cause sweating, and hence, disrupt your sleep and keep you awake.


    Are There Any Benefits of Sleeping Naked?

    There are many benefits of sleeping naked — apart from keeping your body temperature down and hence promoting better sleep, it also keeps the stress levels down and helps your skin. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:


    Healthier Genitals

    This is indeed a very persuasive reason for sleeping in the nude. Consider this, the skin is your largest organ and it needs to breathe too. And there is no better way to provide oxygen to your body than to go to bed in your birthday suit. Wearing tight underwear while you sleep can produce moisture, creating conditions that are ideal for the yeast to thrive and can lead to either a jock strap itch in men or a vaginal infection in women. So sleeping in the buff is beneficial for those who are prone to such infections.


    Better Fertility for Men

    You may snigger at it, but it is true. Sleeping naked for men can spell better quality of semen. This is for the simple fact that heat has a negative effect on semen. So, keeping the testicles breathing is important for producing healthier semen for couples who are trying for a baby.


    Better Sex Life

    This is should be a no-brainer. Sleeping naked together may lead to a better sense of bonding via skin-to-skin contact. This releases oxytocin hormone that lowers anxiety and brings about calmness and trust, which could lead to arousal. And this could lead to a happier relationship. Oxytocin improves your mood and health; being naked and being physically close to someone increases the chance of a sexual encounter by leaps and bounds.


    Beauty Sleep Is for Real

    If you have too much fabric on your body while you sleep, it may suppress the human growth hormone (HGH) which is essential in burning fat and restoring tissue. Sleeping naked will help you sleep better, and release melatonin which in turn helps release the HGH. Other benefits of this include calcium retention, protein synthesis and increasing muscle mass.


    Lose Weight

    Oh yes, like the beauty sleep, this is no myth either. While sleeping naked, your body cools down and produces more HGH, and the production of cortisol (a steroid hormone) will decrease. Compare this to the nights when you cannot sleep, and your cortisol levels are high and your appetite is triggered, leading you to indulge in sugary or fatty foods. High cortisol weakens the immune system, lowers the libido and increases blood pressure. Hence, it is important to sleep better at night to avoid all that and what better way than to sleep naked!


    Lower Stress Levels

    As discussed previously, sleeping naked keeps your cortisol levels in check, resulting in you falling asleep faster. You are likely to wake up feeling less stressful and go about your daily chores feeling energized. All thanks to sleeping in the nude.


    Saves Money

    Think about it, it is one of the most effective ways to save money during those hot summer months! Not only do you save on megabucks because you do not need the AC anymore, but you also don’t have to spend on fancy nightwear anymore. All because you decided to sleep naked.


    Increased Activity

    This is also more logical. When you sleep in your bed clothes, say a large t-shirt and pajamas, you are likely to lounge around for a while after you wake up because you are warm and comfortable in them and waste time lingering on your phone or the newspaper. If you sleep naked, you will absolutely need to get up and get dressed, especially if you don’t live alone!


    Sharpen Focus

    By now, the question “Is sleeping naked better for you?” is probably answered. But if you still want more, here is another one. You would have guessed by now that the better you sleep, the more likely you are to wake up refreshed in the morning. And, we have already established that sleeping in the nude does improve the sleep quality. And if you sleep better at night, the more focus you will have during the day.

    A cooler body temperature, thanks to the lack of clothing and a regulation of the cortisol will lead to better REM sleep, and will enable you to wake up with a bit more energy than usual.


    More Good Hair Days

    When you shed your clothes before hitting the bed at night, it helps prevent sweat from building up on your skin, and naturally, in your hair as well. As a result, there is less salt on your body to get in your hair and as a result, there is less likelihood of your hair getting damaged. So you will wake up with healthier and shinier hair than you would have if you had been wearing your nightwear.


    A Stronger Immune System

    As you may have noticed by now, sleeping naked brings about a natural improvement in your health, and this is a result of a stronger immune system. So you end up with a relatively healthy body and as a result, a healthier lifestyle as well.

    You sleep better, and as a result, wake up better too. When you wake up better, you are better equipped to complete the daily tasks, you enjoy your day better and predictably, your stress levels are low.


    What If I Don’t Want to Sleep Naked?

    Now there is no compulsion for you to sleep naked. If you are uncomfortable doing that, don’t. But it is pertinent that you follow certain rules on what you should wear to bed. Choose fabrics that are not too heavy and are breathable. Some options are silk and bamboo. Cotton is ordinarily a common choice of nightwear, but it has poor moisture wicking, meaning that the moisture is unable to move within the fabric once trapped in it and hence takes longer to dry.

    An excellent option is fabrics made from bamboo which not only improves allergic constitution but also calms vegetative nervous system. You also want clothing that is not too loose and not too tight so as to restrict your movement. Another great idea is to wear socks to bed because they aid sleep.


    Conclusion

    So as cheeky as it may sound, you just read how sleeping in the nude has tons of benefits. If you are not already doing it, and chances are that you are not, you should certainly give it a try and see if you benefit from it. Just lose the pajamas for a week and see what happens when you wake up. Hopefully, you will have nothing to regret!