Have you ever wondered how it would feel to sleep buck naked at night?
Sleeping naked feels a lot better than wearing a t-shirt and pajamas in bed. Even if you wear minimal clothing, a night of sleep without regular clothes is more relaxing and peaceful.
The good feeling continues to persist the next morning when you wake up, take a shower, and have breakfast. Irrespective of your gender, you can reap the benefits of sleeping naked.
Unless you live–up north–in a mountainous region where it is cold outside, you are better off sleeping in or without your underwear. Having said that, we understand if you like or prefer to sleep with clothes on despite staying in a warm and humid part of the world.
Social responsibilities and fear of being judged can make sleeping naked feel like the wrong choice. No family member–except maybe your spouse or partner–would feel comfortable with this idea. In this post, we will discuss why you should be sleeping naked at night.
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How to Start Sleeping Naked
After discussing a few perks of sleeping naked, we are anticipating you to have questions like “how to start sleeping naked?” Generally speaking, sleeping naked is not an intricate activity. All you have to do is leave your worn clothing in the laundry basket, switch off the lights, adjust the air conditioner at an appropriate temperature, and slide under the duvet or the blanket.
However, if you stay with a family or your partner isn’t pleased with the idea of sleeping without clothes, you must first focus on getting their permission or approval. Once you have successfully convinced them, then you can move ahead with taking the necessary steps to avoid awkward and embarrassing situations in the future.
It is also essential to inform others in your home to knock on the door before they enter your room. You can put up a sign on the doorknob or lock the door from inside. You don’t want them to barge in callously while you are lying naked or wearing minimal clothing.
On the other hand, if you share a room with a roommate, sibling, or partner, then simply tell them about your new sleeping habit (which they might find a bit strange) and do it without being ashamed or hesitant.
After a few days, they will get used to seeing you without clothes, and hopefully, they won’t raise objections as you are not doing anything wrong. It’s a healthy and the most natural way to sleep. This is how you start sleeping naked.
Why Should We Not Wear Clothes While Sleeping?
Before we get into the scientific reason for not wearing clothes while sleeping, we would like to point out the obvious and easily understandable reasons to sleep naked at night.
Comfort and better sleep quality are two of the most glaring ones. When you sleep naked, you are less likely to wake up intermittently in the middle of the night.
Also, most people spend their days wearing uncomfortable work clothes. Particularly, those who work in office or retail jobs. This makes it difficult for the skin on the majority of their body parts to breathe unobstructedly.
In both men and women, areas like armpits, groin, genitals, and feet are more likely to get infected by bacteria or yeast–when not exposed to fresh air at least at night. Hence, you should not wear clothes while sleeping.
Lastly, before we move on to the benefits of sleeping naked, we would like to share a study that links insomnia with body temperature. This study by Flinders University, South Australia, inferred that sleepiness and sleep propensity are influenced by the circadian clock, which, in turn, is regulated by the core body temperature.
Sleeping naked lowers the core body temperature by 1-2 °C. Hence, the lower the temperature, the better sleep quality (assuming you do not live in the countries touching the north pole).
The Science-Backed Benefits of Sleeping Naked
1) It is Good for Your Skin
Who would have guessed that sleeping naked can also make your skin firmer and even help heal faster from acne/pimples/cuts/wounds? Several studies have linked sleeping naked with general skin health. Letting your skin breathe unobstructedly at night helps you look and feel years younger.
According to a study published in the Journal of Psychology, getting adequate sleep promotes the healing of wounds. Researchers in this study took three groups of test subjects. They made a small wound (on the same body part) of all test subjects.
The first group was allowed to sleep; as usual, the second and third groups were deprived of sleep; but the third group was given health supplementation with nutrients like arginine, glutamine, zinc sulfate, vitamin C, and vitamin D3.
In conclusion, they found that the test subjects in the first group were able to recuperate faster and better. The third group–despite being given additional nutrients–did not show any significant progress. This proves how important it is for your skin to sleep soundly– and sleeping naked is the best way to do so.
2) Keeps Private Parts Healthier in Women
Women, more than men, are likely to suffer from yeast infections in their private parts. It can lead to diseases and other complications. Sleeping naked allows the skin in and around the private parts to breathe freely–stay dry throughout the night.
The same goes for men. However, in men, the private parts are located outside the body. Hence, they remain cooler than the core body temperature.
3) Helps You Fall Asleep Faster
The core temperature of the body is relatively lower at night. The body temperature is regulated by circadian rhythms, which in turn impacts the sleep-wake cycle. The lower the temperature of the body, the faster you will fall asleep.
Hence, when you sleep naked, the core body temperature drops by a few degrees, and you fall asleep in no time.
4) More Oxytocin is Released
Sleeping naked with your partner can be relaxing and stress-busting. It is common for couples to sleep close to each other at night. But sleeping naked, with skin-to-skin contact, can trigger a neurotransmitter and a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin is released in both men and women equally, although it might play a different role in both sexes.
Women benefit more from the release of oxytocin. It promotes healthy reproductive functions and breast milk production after childbirth. In men, the release of the “love hormone” oxytocin is associated with bonding with their partner and offspring. Men who sleep naked with their partner are more likely to be loving and caring fathers– and also will spend more time with their children.
Conclusion
Over the next few months, you will see how happier and livelier you become as a person. Having said that, there are instances where it makes sense to put on clothes at night, notably, in winters or when you are sick. You don’t always have to go commando.