5 Reasons You Should Be Sleeping Naked, According to Science
Go ahead, take it all off.
Say goodnight to your ratty t-shirts and boxers, because science says you’re better off sleeping butt naked. Not only can removing layers in the boudoir be a precursor to more enjoyable bedtime activities than just sleeping, it’s also scientifically proven to be really good for you. Here’s why.
1. Your sleep quality will improve
Thanks to our ancestors and slow evolution, the human body needs to cool down .5 degrees Fahrenheit to be able to fall asleep, and stay asleep. Clothing makes you retain heat, which is good during the day, but not so much at night. When you ditch the pajamas, your core cools down faster, helping you catch some z’s.
During the night, your body needs to remain cool, or you’ll wake up all hot and bothered. Literally. “If anything prevents that decline in temperature, the brain will wake itself up to see what’s going on, meaning you’ll struggle to get to sleep or you’ll have disturbed sleep.
2. It can actually make your junk healthier
Stay with me here. Sleeping in underwear that hugs your family jewels increases your chances of getting a really unfortunate infection down there. According to urologist Brian Steixner, wearing underwear at night keeps bacteria-breeding heat and moisture locked in, making it easy for any chaffed or irritated skin to get infected. Go au naturale to let the boys breathe.
Sleeping naked also keeps your scrotum at a healthy 95-to-96 degrees, which is the perfect temperature for—there’s no other way to say it—healthy sperm. Consider freeballing for the sake of your unborn children.
3. You’ll be in better shape
We already established that sleeping naked helps your body stay cooler at night, helping you get better quality sleep. That better quality sleep and cooler body temperature is essential for the production of human growth hormone, or HGH.
HGH helps maintain an efficient metabolism, so kicking it in the buff means better sleep, which leads to sufficient HGH production, and a stronger metabolism to fight off packing on the pounds.
4. Sleeping nude will rev up your sex life
Oxytocin is a hormone that is produced in the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary, and is possibly the best molecule in the world. It reduces stress, is a huge part of intimacy, social bonding, and sexuality. It’s so important that without it, orgasms wouldn’t be orgasms.
Skin-on-skin contact from being naked in bed with another person triggers a rush of oxytocin, reducing stress and anxiety, making you feel closer to your partner. Oxytocin also gives your sex drive a boost, which is useful, considering you’re naked in bed with someone.
5. It’ll clear up your skin
Turns out sleeping naked could make you look younger, too. Keeping your body temperature cooler while you sleep helps anti-aging and restorative hormones like HGH and DHEA work their magic. Getting too hot at night disrupts sleep, which interrupts the production of our favorite hormones, making it more difficult to stay sexy and youthful.
Ditching the PJs also allows your skin to breathe, and that can help clear up acne or irritation. Think about it — when else can you be naked and free for hours and hours while getting precious, rejuvenating sleep? Sleeping naked = Vitality
So go ahead, take it off. Take it all off. It’s for your health.
Photos by Getty Images
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