Skipping the pajamas and drifting off in the nude may be a controversial topic among sleepers, but the data doesn’t lie.
People who sleep naked may be more likely to experience the benefits of improved sleep, health, and overall wellness.
The list below highlights eight benefits of sleeping unclothed.
Benefits of Sleeping Naked | Improves Sleep | Improves Skin Health | Boosts Self Esteem | Prevents Weight Gain | Reduces Stress | Improves Relationships | Boosts Male Fertility | Improves Female Reproduction | Summary
#1. Improves Sleep
Studies have shown that the ideal sleeping temperature is between 60-67° F. When you sleep naked, your body is better able to regulate temperature, which helps to keep your body cool which, in turn, results in better sleep.
#2. Improves Skin Health
A second benefit of sleeping naked is improved skin health.
When you’re naked the surface of the skin stays cooler, which improves sleep. If you start to overheat in the night, your body may be pulled out of deep sleep and you can wake yourself up.
This is a defensive mechanism to prevent your body from overheating, but it can also leave you tired and feeling run down, even if you thought you slept all night.
By keeping your skin temperature lower, you are able to stay in a deeper sleep state for longer, which encourages skin rejuvenation, cellular repair, and healing wounds.
#3. Boosts Self-Esteem
Next on the list, is boosted self-esteem. When people engage in skin-to-skin contact, oxytocin is released. This hormone, commonly referred to as the “feel-good hormone”, is linked to feelings of trust, safety, empathy, love, and reduced anxiety.
#4. Prevents Weight Gain
As mentioned above, sleeping naked keeps you cool, which can have major positive impacts on your skin and overall quality of sleep. But being cool also speeds up your body’s natural metabolism. A faster metabolism burns more calories and can help prevent excess weight gain.
Another way sleeping naked can prevent weight gain is through the production of brown fat.
To stay warm, your body will naturally create more brown fat in order to keep you warm.
Fun Fact: Brown fat is the same thing that bears use to stay warm.
Brown Fat vs. White Fat
- White fat is a type of fat that comes from calorie intake and it’s also the fat that increases the risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- Brown fat is brown in color and packed with higher levels of mitochondria, which can convert sugar (and white fat) into stored energy.
#5. Reduces Stress
Reduced stress is another benefit of sleeping naked. This is for a combination of reasons, but when you get better sleep, have healthier relationships, and have an increased surge of oxytocin, you are more likely to have reduced stress as well.
All of these benefits begin to compound on one another and reduced stress is a wonderful result of these benefits.
#6. Improves Relationships
When you’re lying in bed naked with a partner, intimacy is enhanced, as well as connection, and a sense of compassion for that person. Even if no words are said, sleeping naked side-by-side is a great way to start improving your relationship.
#7. Boosts Male Fertility
Wearing clothing 24/7 can be restrictive and ultimately have an effect on male fertility.
Studies show that from a panel of men surveyed, men who wore boxers had a higher sperm count and total concentration compared to men who wore tighter underwear.
Sleeping completely naked can keep your body cool and maintain an ideal temperature for sperm health and male reproduction.
#8. Supports Female Reproduction
Just as sleeping naked is a benefit to men, it is also beneficial to women as it can improve vaginal health and even lower the risk of yeast infections.
Yeast tends to grow best in warm, moist environments—sleeping naked eliminates these risks by providing greater airflow and decreasing moisture.
Summary
So, there you have it—8 compelling reasons to sleep in the nude. Sleeping naked not only benefits your physical body, but also your mental health, and overall wellness.
Getting Started
If you want the benefit of better sleep, but aren’t quite ready to bear it all, try swapping your flannel jammies for something more lightweight.
A thin, cotton robe, a loose nightgown, or even just sleeping in your underwear are all great ways to maximize airflow and take advantage of some of the benefits listed above.
Don’t Forget
Once you’re in the habit of sleeping naked, remember to wash your sheets more often. Without the extra layer of clothing, your sheets may experience more bodily fluids, sweat, etc.
Washing your sheets weekly will keep bed-borne bacteria at bay, while also benefiting from being in the nude.
FAQ
Yes. Sleeping naked can speed up metabolism, increase the production of oxytocin, improve sleep quality, regenerate skin cells, boost fertility, and increase the production of (healthy) brown fats.
Sleeping completely naked is the healthiest, but there are other variations of this. Sleep without underwear for boosted fertility, reproductive health, and decreased risk of yeast infections (in women). Sleep without a shirt for skin health, improved sleep quality, and improved self-esteem. In terms of fabric, stick to cotton or linen blends, which tend to have the best breathability.
Sleeping naked lowers your body temperature, which speeds up metabolism and also boosts the production of brown fats. In the body, brown fat converts sugars and white fat into stored energy.
Yes. It’s actually recommended to sleep without a bra on. This relieves pressure on your breasts and allows air to promote cellular regeneration and healthy tissue. It can also help your body to stay cool.
Citations
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- Blanton, K., Lawler, M., Migala, J., Thurrott, S., Goldman, R., Garone, S., Balay, J. L., Beal, L., & Rapaport, L. (n.d.). The Ultimate Guide to Brown Fat: What it is, why it matters, and whether you can use it to hack your metabolism. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/brown-fat-guide/
- Brown fat, brown adipose tissue: What it is & what it means. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24015-brown-fat
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