by Tara Schiller
Did you know that only 8% of Americans sleep naked, even though it’s healthier and improves more than one area of your life? Are we all sabotaging our sleep, beauty, and sex, or are we just unaware? Well the following information may just cause you to chuck those pajamas and bring out your birthday suit. Here are 10 reasons why people who sleep naked are healthier.
1. Sleeping naked helps prevent insomnia.
A recent Australian study concluded that a drop in core body temperature is needed in order for sleep to initiate normally. The body pushes the heat out from the core like a radiator and releases it. If your body can’t release the heat because of heavy pajamas or socks, you are more likely to suffer from insomnia, because your core won’t be able to release the heat. Sleeping naked allows the heat to release more quickly, and helps you fall asleep faster.
2. Naked sleepers get deeper, longer sleep.
Another study showed that the regulation of in-bed body temperature could significantly help in reaching a deeper sleep for longer periods of time. In one study in particular, Dutch scientists placed thermo suits on participants in order to lower their skin temperature. As a result, the participants had an uninterrupted sleep and spent more time in the deep sleep stages.
3. Sleeping naked helps prevent excess belly fat.
Natural body cooling at night helps you lower your cortisol levels. The deep sleep hours between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. lower cortisol levels to a minimum, then after 2 a.m., the glands that produce cortisol start working more actively to prepare the body for the next day. This is so you feel energized when you wake up.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you wake up with abnormally high cortisol levels, which stimulates your appetite for comfort foods that create belly fat when eaten. Since sleeping without pajamas keeps you cooler, it helps to regulate those cortisol levels.
4. Sleeping naked can make your sex organs healthier.
The vagina is naturally a warm and humid place, creating an environment where yeast and bacteria thrive. By removing those pajamas and exposing it to free flowing air, you allow the vagina to breathe, helping to prevent the growth of yeast and bacteria.
For men, keeping the testes cooler helps keep sperm healthy and the reproductive systems functioning normally, which is why the testes are located outside of the body in the first place. When you are wearing tight briefs, the testes heat up and lower your sperm count.
5. A cooler body helps prevent aging.
According to a study published in the journal “Sleep”, sleep in and of itself triggers the release of growth hormones and melatonin, which are the most vital anti-aging hormones. So the more you sleep, the more of these hormones you produce. And since we’ve already determined that lower body temperatures create a deeper, longer sleep, being naked is sounding better and better. I mean, who doesn’t want to slow the aging process?
6. Skin-to-skin contact improves your sex life.
If you’re not sleeping alone, skin to skin contact with your partner can boost the release of oxytocin in your body. Oxytocin is a powerful “feel-good” hormone, which is needed for orgasm and sexual responsiveness, dealing with stress, combating depression, reducing intestinal inflammation, and reducing blood pressure. It’s also important to note that being naked removes any obstacles between you and your partner and encourages a more sexual environment.
7. Airing out your skin prevents skin diseases.
Airing out the skin all over your body, especially in areas like your feet, armpits, and genitals, means a lowered risk for skin diseases like athlete’s foot and Intertrigo, which result from wet, restricted skin!
8. Being exposed to your body improves self-esteem and acceptance.
Theories suggest that the more time you spend in the nude, the more comfortable you feel in your skin. And the more comfortable you feel, the more confidently you’ll behave, making you happier and more attractive to others. And according to a study done by the University of Central Florida, pro-nudity students “were significantly more accepting of other religious groups and the LGBT crowd” when compared to the anti-nudity students. They were also “less prejudiced towards ethnically dissimilar peers.”
9. Sleeping naked helps prevent type 2 diabeties.
A study, published in the June edition of Diabetes, found that sleeping in colder temperatures has been linked to improving our metabolisms, lowering blood sugar levels and even preventing type 2 diabetes. Scientists found that, when the participants were colder—and sleeping almost entirely in the nude, their unhealthy fat began disappearing within just a few weeks, and their health was rapidly improving, especially in the metabolic aspects.
10. You’ll experience better blood flow.
Without all those elastic bands around your waist, twisted t-shirts, and tight socks cutting off your circulation, your blood can more freely flow through your body. Thisincreased circulation benefits the heart, muscles, and arteries as the oxygen rich blood flows to your extremities.
With all this information on why sleeping naked is SO MUCH better for you, why are you still wearing pajamas? Go ahead, indulge in a little naked time. According to science, you won’t regret it.
Tara Schiller spent the last 10 years of her life dedicated to the sole purpose of coming fully alive. Now she uses her knowledge and experience to help others in the process by authoring the blog, Absolutely Tara, and writing E-Courses dedicated to the discovery of a person’s true self, and the process of taking that discovery and making it real.
