Did you know your sleep, and consequently your health, profits every time you ditch the pajamas and go to bed as you came into this world? The benefits of sleeping naked go beyond not having to deal with changing your clothes when bedtime arrives.
What are the benefits of sleeping naked?
Most of the benefits of sleeping naked can be traced back to the body temperature and how clothes can affect the natural regulation of the body. Nevertheless, this simple effect has several other positive consequences for the body, and some may even be surprising.
Weight loss
Out of the benefits of sleeping naked, this is perhaps the most surprising one.
According to a 2014 study, lowering the room temperature triggers the body into raising its own temperature to compensate for the difference. This increment promotes the burning of adipose tissue but not of muscle, thus helping with weight loss.
Sleeping naked is the easiest and most practical way to create this temperature discrepancy.
Better sleep
Sleeping naked helps to cool the body which, according to a 2017 study, is beneficial to get a better quality sleep.
The researchers concluded that warm and hot temperatures disrupt the circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and inhibiting the body from getting into the deeper stages of sleep.
Getting a full night of quality sleep without interruptions has several benefits of its own:
- Better focus and memory
- Better skin as the regeneration during sleep is more effective
- Reduced levels of cortisol
- Lower risk of stroke and heart attack, especially for women
Genital health
Your genitalia is constantly covered and kept in a dark and moist environment, the perfect conditions for bacteria to thrive.
By letting it “air out” at night, you see the chances of yeast infections significantly reduced.
Stress relief
If you have a partner, sleeping naked can lead to more sexual intercourse between you two. However, even the simple touch of skin on skin is enough to work wonders to reduce your stress levels.
This contact increases the levels of oxytocin, a hormone released to soothe anxiety and stress. This hormone is also associated with more feelings of trust, so it can also help your relationship.
It’s practical
First, you’ll have less laundry to do if you don’t wear pajamas. You’re also skipping a step in the evening and in the morning as you just need to take off or put on your clothes and you’re good to go.
And second, you can save some money with your A/C in the warmest days.
You do more things
Most people get home after work, change into their pajamas and then lose all motivation to go out again. Even if they are invited to a fun activity, they just refuse it using the argument “I’m already in my pajamas”.
When you sleep naked, though, you don’t have this excuse. You’re ready to go anytime because you only undress when it’s time to go to bed.
Are there any cons?
Nothing is ever perfect. Despite the benefits of sleeping naked, there are also some disadvantages too. However, the downsides are quite mild and specific.
Colds: You are more likely to catch a cold if the room temperature gets too low.
Sleepwalking: If you’re a sleepwalker, the benefits of sleeping naked might not compensate being arrested for indecent exposure in the middle of the night.
Anxiety: If you feel uncomfortable sleeping naked or are constantly afraid someone might barge into the room, you shouldn’t do it. It will become a source of stress and ruin all the benefits you could collect.
What you shouldn’t be wearing in bed
Despite the benefits of sleeping naked, not everyone feels comfortable doing it. As mentioned before, you shouldn’t force yourself to do it if you don’t want to or it will become a source of anxiety.
Nevertheless, even if you cover up there are some clothes you should skip.
Bras
Bras can be uncomfortable and constricting, thus affecting your sleep quality. Furthermore, they put pressure on your chest and diaphragm and hinder blood circulation.
The fact that they constantly rub on your skin can also lead to indentations and the friction can damage and irritate the skin.
Don’t worry about having perky breasts. You can use other tricks to achieve them because sleeping with the bra doesn’t do anything to help.
The reasoning behind it is because a bra prevents the sagging caused by gravity, but while you’re sleeping your breast are pulled towards your chest by gravity, not towards your toes.
Underwear
Even if you don’t sleep naked, try to at least wear loose fitting pajamas and skip the underwear. The goal is to allow enough room for your private parts to “air-out” and reduce the probability of yeast infections.
Men also benefit from sleeping bare or using loose boxers instead of tight underwear. According to 2018 study, the looser the underwear the biggest the sperm concentration and count. Men wearing tighter underwear, on the other hand, experienced a decrease in testicular function.
Tight pajamas
As with bras, tight pajamas constrict your movements, your breathing and blood circulation, which can impact on the quality of sleep.
Prefer loose-fitting nighties to free your body and allow room for your skin to breathe too.
Jewelry and accessories
There is no point in bringing your jewelry to bed with you. You can do it to look good for your partner and spice your relationship up, but you still should remove it before sleeping. Jewelry simply represents too many risks.
You can choke on your necklace or get your hears teared up if your earings are snagged in a pillowcase or in the blanket, for instance. There is also a high chance of you scratching yourself with it.
These little things are all likely to wake you up and prevent a restoring sleep.
