This might sound a little naughty, but bear with us here. You need to ditch your pajamas and start sleeping in your birthday suit. What’s that, you say?
According to numerous scientific studies, the health benefits of sleeping naked are too many and far-reaching to ignore.
From improved hormonal balance to less belly fat and more sex, you really need to make it a habit of sleeping nude.
Only 10% of Americans sleep in the nude, according to one survey. That is probably typical of most other countries of the world, and it should change. Here’s why sleeping naked is so much better for you:
1. You’ll slow down the signs of aging and look more beautiful and youthful.
Sleeping naked in a room maintained at a temperature no higher than 70˚F (21˚C) stimulates the release of the anti-aging hormone called melatonin and the growth hormone in the body. The release of these hormones can improve athletic performance, according to a 2012 study published in the journal Sleep.
The hormones work better at lower room temperatures by allowing the body to regenerate, resulting in better skin and hair. A sleep environment that is too hot will not allow the body to naturally cool itself and can disrupt the release of these hormones.
2. You’ll feel happier and more stress-free.
That’s because sleeping naked boosts the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin (also called the “love hormone”) is a powerful feel-good hormone that is involved in orgasm and sexual responsiveness, combating stress and depression, reducing intestinal inflammation by improving gut motility, and blood pressure reduction.
So, if you and your partner are sleeping in your birthday suits, skin to skin touching can boost your oxytocin levels, trigger sexual desire and of course lead to more intimate moments with your partner. In fact, a survey from Cotton USA has found that couples who sleep in the nude are happier than their clothed and PJ’d counterparts.
3. You’ll get better quality of sleep.
An Australian study found that some forms of insomnia can be provoked by improper body temperature regulation at night. Another study showed that the regulation of in-bed body temperature could significantly help in improving sleep quality and reaching deeper slumber.
In one particular study, Dutch scientists placed thermosuits on participants in order to lower their skin temperatures without affecting core body temperature. The researchers found that participants had an uninterrupted sleep and spent more time in the deep sleep stages as a result.
Sleeping naked can positively affect your sleep quality.
4. You’ll lower your cortisol levels and maintain healthy body composition.
Poor or no sleep is associated with the release of cortisol, or the so-called stress hormone, as well as hunger hormones that can trigger our appetite for comfort foods and thus lead to overeating. Lack of a good night’s sleep is also related to less active production of the fat-burning and appetite-controlling hormones.
Specifically, researchers at the University of Warwick found that those who sleep less than six hours are three times more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease and, therefore, unwanted weight gain. Because sleeping naked helps you get deeper sleep and keeps your body temperature at the optimal ranges, your body is better able to regulate cortisol.
That, in turn, helps to combat belly fat and general weight gain, thereby ensuring you maintain a healthy body composition.
5. You’ll boost your immune system.
Moreover, increased oxytocin and reduced cortisol levels – both previously mentioned – contribute to a more robust immune system. Keeping these important chemicals at their optimal amounts in your body’s ecosystem by sleeping naked means giving yourself the best shot at fending off germs, viruses and other disease-causing organisms.
6. You’ll protect your lady parts from infections.
Ladies, it’s always best to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to your health down there. As you probably already know, bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments, especially in women prone to vaginal infections.
Nicole Prause, an Associate Research Scientist at the University of California Los Angeles, speaking to Medical Daily revealed that, “Sleeping naked would reduce the ability of those (always-present) bacteria to overwhelm the normal healthy vaginal flora.”
The vagina will get more ventilation, when you sleep naked, increasing its ability to stay dry and reducing the probability of fungal infection.
7. You’ll increase your virility.
This applies to men. Gentlemen, sleeping naked has been found to increase virility by keeping the testes cooler, which is why the testes are located outside of the body in the first place. When you wear tight briefs and cover up with heavy blankets, the testes heat up and lower your sperm count.
You really don’t want that, do you? Of course, you don’t.
Ditch the sleepwear and start sleeping naked today to enjoy these totally amazing health benefits.
Source Lifehack