Is sleeping naked better for your health?

sleeping naked

 If your usual bedtime apparel is possibly pajamas, a nightgown, large tees, or just boxers, tonight consider slipping into something new – your birthday suit, as in sleeping naked.  Sleeping without a stitch of clothing is not exactly common in the U.S. Roughly, only about 10-12 percent of Americans do sleep in the buff according to the National Sleep Foundation.  But experts say nighttime nudity by sleeping naked is good for both physical and emotional health.

So put away the cozy flannel nightgown and the oversized t-shirt. It’s time to get naked under the covers all night long sleeping your way to good health – here’s why:

  • You’ll wake up more refreshed

According to a 2012 study, the temperature of the room where you sleep is one of the most important factors in achieving quality sleep. The ideal bedroom temperature for quality sleep is 60-67 degrees F (15.6-19.4 Celsius), and sleeping naked is perfect for keeping the body’s internal temperature down. When we sleep our body temperature naturally declines during the night and then when morning arrives it begins to rise again.  Wearing clothing can interfere with this natural fluctuation.  Being garbed in extra clothing can lead to becoming overly warm resulting in tossing and turning or waking up sweaty in the middle of the night.  By nixing the PJs, your body temperature has more freedom to ebb and flow uninterrupted.

  • Help prevent vaginal yeast infections

Many women view sleeping au natural as being unsanitary.  However, the always present bacteria found in the vagina, thrive in moist, warm environments, especially in women prone to vaginal infections.  By ventilating the vagina you are doing it a favor increasing its ability to stay dry reducing the probability of a fungal or yeast infection.

  • Men will protect their sperm

Going commando for a man is probably a little more natural for men than women and that is particularly good for his sperm according to a 2018 study. The scrotum needs to be at just the right temperature in order to optimize sperm production.  That perfect temperature is right between 95 to 96 degrees which is slightly cooler than the rest of the body – this is why the testicles inside the scrotum are outside the body as they need to be cooler than the temperature inside the body in order to make sperm.  If the testicles become too warm, sperm quality suffers.

  • Men will also be protecting their testicles

Guys, drop the drawers before getting into bed.  This helps prevent the odds of an infection.  Wearing underwear will only trap moisture and heat which bacteria require to grow and multiple.  The more bacteria present the higher likelihood of any skin that is irritated or chafed could become infected.

  • You’ll look years younger

There’s a reason why they call it “beauty sleep.”  Want to wake up each morning with a youthful glow – get into your birthday suit each night.  When we sleep in the nude keeping the room temperature no higher than 70 degrees, it helps release the anti-aging hormones of melatonin and growth hormones.  These hormones work better at lower temperatures allowing the body to regenerate resulting in improved hair and skin.  A room that is too hot does not allow the body to naturally cool itself which disrupts the release of these hormones.  Also make sure the room is as dark as possible as complete darkness stimulates the release of melatonin.

  • Promotes weight loss

Stress is one factor that can trigger the development of belly fat.  But getting a good night’s sleep in the raw can correct our hormone levels during the night backed by the National Institutes of Health.  During the night, the production of growth hormone increases while cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases.  Between 10 pm and 2 am is when cortisol should be at its lowest but then when morning arrives, the levels will have increased.  However, without a good night’s rest, cortisol levels can be abnormally high triggering our appetite for comfort foods leading to overeating.

  • Promotes better immune health

When we sleep with someone else who is also naked, it should result in more skin-on-skin contact. This can reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol suppressing the immune response, thus leading to better immune health.  It can also increase oxytocin which is good for stabilizing blood pressure and promoting healing.

  • Better bonding with your partner

Sleeping nude with someone who is also nude releases more of the “love hormone” oxytocin so says a 2015 review.  Lots of skin-on-skin contact throughout the night increases bonding, satisfaction, and emotional closeness in relationships.

  • Builds confidence and self-esteem

Is sleeping naked better for your health?
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Dr. David Samadi

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Dr. David Samadi