Whether you’re a ‘sleep for a week’ or ‘sleep is for the weak’ kind of person, you can’t deny how important your sleep cycle is to function every day. And sure, waking up every day is an absolute chore. But what if we told you we could help you make your seven-ish hours of sleep even better?
It’s time to kick off those pajama shorts and embrace the freedom of sleeping naked! Yes, you read that right. Nudity as an abstract concept has been unfortunately sexualized by the world at large. However, sleeping naked and being naked in the comfort of your own home is nothing to be ashamed of.
Studies have shown that sleeping naked helps improve your overall sleep quality, your health at large and improving factors of your life affected by sleep.
So, let’s see if these seven health benefits can convince you to try sleeping naked:
1. Fall asleep faster
Your body has a circadian rhythm, which regulates many functions of the body such as sleep, appetite and body temperature in a 24-hour cycle. For sleep in particular, your body temperature plays a vital role in how you fall asleep. When your body cools down, it readies itself for sleep so when you sleep naked, it can actually help you fall asleep quicker than usual.
2. Better sleep quality
The conditions in how you sleep are huge factors in the quality of sleep you achieve. A place that is too hot or too cold may affect your REM cycle, and if you’re uncomfortable with the temperature, you’re likely to not fall asleep peacefully.
The ideal temperature for the room that you fall asleep in is meant to be 15 to 19° Celsius. By sleeping naked, you avoid overheating and manage to keep your body cool and in an ideal sleeping state.
3. Reduces stress and anxiety
A good reason to try to start sleeping naked is to help your stress and anxiety. A lack of sleep drastically affects your stress levels, and poor sleep habits may lead to frustrating days. Conversely, stress and anxiety can cause insomnia and lead to a painful cycle.
By improving your sleep quality, in terms of fixing your circadian rhythm and keeping your body cool, sleeping naked helps you reduce stress and sleep fitfully.
4. Boosts self-image
Being naked in a non-sexual scenario is a great way to get to know your body and understand it. It’s a great way to centre yourself and boost self-esteem. If you’re uncomfortable being naked during the day, try to sleep without any clothes on. Go slowly, removing articles of clothing as per your comfort, and see how you feel about yourself after sleeping naked a few nights.
5. Better Genital Hygiene
For women, sleeping naked is also a good way to avoid yeast infections and allow your vagina to breathe. Tight and sweaty undergarments can increase the risk of an infection, so sleeping naked is a good way to provide no constraints for a few hours.
Tight underwear can also prove to be an issue for men, leading to lower sperm count and discomfort. By sleeping naked, men can reduce the chances of a deteriorated sperm count and keep their testicles cool.
6. Improves Intimacy
When you are with your partner, intimacy does not always mean sex. Skin to skin contact and cuddling plays a huge role in bolstering familiarity and improving your relationship with your partner. Furthermore, skin to skin contact also releases the hormone oxytocin, which reduces anxiety and promotes happiness.
7. Keeps Skin Healthy
Since all our bodily functions are deeply intertwined, the lack of or increase of one greatly hampers other functions. The amount of water you drink in a day reflects directly in how you feel and how your body reacts. Similarly, a lack of sleep can impede our skin health.
Like we mentioned earlier, sleeping naked can help improve the quality of your sleep. As a direct result of better sleep quality, it can also help better your skin. So, remember to get your eight hours in and wake up with glowing skin!
While it might be a daunting experience at first, and perhaps even scary, we encourage you to give it a try. An improved sleep cycle comes with many benefits and absolutely no losses. You will end up feeling less groggy, your skin will improve and so will your mood. Plus, it can also be a fun experiment to try out with your partner!
Think about it. Peel off those layers one at a time, and seriously consider the health benefits of sleeping naked. Who knows? It might turn into something you needed to do all along.
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