IF YOU don’t already sleep naked, it may be time to give it a try. This article will explain how sleeping naked can help you get better rest, reduce your stress, and even help you to lose weight.
How Sleeping Naked Helps You Rest Better
Sleep cooler. Temperature makes a big difference in the quality of your sleep. If your skin starts to overheat, even a little bit, you’re more likely to wake up too soon. Overheating also pulls your body out of the important phase of deep sleep, which you need to fight infection and stay alert during the day.
Sleeping naked is an easy way to keep your skin temperature down without changing the room’s temperature. It also helps you to stay cool overall. This improves your sleep quality and makes you feel less tired.
Brown fat. Sleeping at a lower temperature also causes your body to produce more brown fat.
Brown fat boosts your metabolism by burning blood sugar and stored white fat to keep you warm. High levels of brown fat may reduce your risk of conditions like obesity and diabetes.
Less weight gain. If sleeping naked helps you to stay asleep longer, it can help to reduce your risk of obesity and weight gain. Adults who sleep 5 hours per night or less are more likely to gain significant amounts of weight compared to those who sleep 7 hours or more.
The Benefits of Better Rest
If sleeping naked helps you to rest better, your mental and physical health will benefit. Better sleep is associated with:
- Reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health issues
- A stronger immune system
- Clearer thinking and better focus
- Better reasoning and problem-solving
- Better productivity at work
- Reduced risk of depression
Fewer toxins. Deep sleep is particularly important for getting the full cognitive benefits of rest. When you sleep, your brain clears itself of toxic proteins. Some of these proteins can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Sleeping naked helps you stay cool, which is important for getting the deep sleep you need. Taking off your clothes before bed may keep your mind healthy long into the future.
The Effects of Sleeping Naked on Relationships and Sexual Health
Oxytocin. Do you sleep with a partner? Sleeping naked together might improve your rest by reducing your stress and anxiety levels. Skin-to-skin contact between adults can increase levels of oxytocin, the “love hormone”.
That increased oxytocin can help to reduce your stress levels. It can also make you feel more connected to your partner.
Stronger bonds. By keeping you connected, sleeping together naked can keep your relationship strong. Couples who remain together tend to have higher oxytocin levels when they first get together. This is possibly because the hormone itself strengthens the emotional bond.
Long-term couples with strong relationships also tend to have higher oxytocin levels.
Fertility. For people with testicles, sleeping naked may also improve reproductive health. Sperm count and concentration are lower with tight-fitting underwear. This is possibly because it makes the testicles warmer. By sleeping without underwear, testicles have a chance to cool off.
No matter your gender or relationship status, sleeping naked is still good for your emotional well-being. It can also improve your relationship with yourself. Spending time nude helps to improve your body image, self-esteem, and overall feelings of well-being.
Tips for Sleeping Naked
The right temp. The benefits of sleeping naked are closely linked with keeping cool. Most people’s optimal sleep temperature is between 66 degrees and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Different people will have different comfort levels.
An uncomfortably cold room will also make it harder to sleep. Let your comfort levels determine your room temperature. Also, make sure your hands and feet are warm enough. Your body drops its core temperature for sleep by sending blood flow to those areas.
If you tend to have cold extremities but want to sleep naked, consider bathing or showering an hour or two before bedtime. This helps improve circulation and your overall temperature regulation.
Bedding matters, too. Invest in quality sheets and wash them often in warm water. This helps you ensure that sleeping naked remains a healthy practice.
Finally, it’s okay if you’re not ready to sleep completely nude. Sleeping in just a loose pair of underwear can be enough to get a lot of the same benefits. Everyone’s sleep needs are different, and that goes for clothing as well.
This article is written by a WebMD Editorial Contributor, and medically reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD. Culled from WebMD.
