Pack away the flannel pajamas: A
handful of studies and surveys show sleeping naked could actually be good for
you. Six reasons why you should consider it:
1. You may like your partner more: A 2014 survey of Brits by
Cotton USA (which promotes cotton products that likely include both pajamas and
sheets) found that 57 percent of those who slept nude reported being happy in
their relationship.
That was 9 percentage points more
than PJ wearers, followed by 43 percent of nightie wearers. Onesie wearers—they
apparently exist—brought up the rear at 38 percent, per the Daily Mail.
2. It could help prevent diabetes: It's a bit of a stretch,
but here's the logic: Adults have small amounts of brown fat (aka "good
fat") in their bodies, and a 2014 study looked at how bedroom temperature
affected the fat.
The four-month study was small:
just five males who slept in rooms heated to 66-, 75-, or 81-degrees. After
four weeks spent at the coldest temp, the men had almost twice as much brown
fat, and their insulin sensitivity was better, which a researcher says could
lower their diabetes risk.
Four weeks at 81 degrees undid
all the benefits. Though the New York Timespoints out the test subjects slept
in hospital scrubs, going naked could help prevent overheating.
3. It's better for your lady health: Cosmopolitan cites
advice from Dr.
Jennifer Landa, who points out
that an overly warm environment could spur too much yeast or bacteria to grow
in the vaginal area. By passing on PJs, you'll have a better chance of giving
air access to the region, preventing infections.
4. It's how our ancestors did it: If you're a Paleo-dieter
who eats like a caveman, why not sleep like one, too? Neurologist Rachel Salas
with the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep in 2013 told the Wall Street Journal
that "back in the cave days," people slept naked.
It was, in part, a means of
protection from predators, and that feeling of safety could be imparted by
sleeping similarly in modern day.
5. It could be better for the immune system: Mic reports
that when skin-on-skin contact occurs, our adrenal glands get a message:
lighten up on the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
As one doctor explains,
"Cortisol suppresses the immune response." Skin-to-skin contact also
increases levels of oxytocin, which can have positive effects on blood pressure
and healing, says Salas.
6. Body temp affects sleep: A 2004 study found that for
sleep to "initiate normally," core body temp matters.
Per a researcher, "Studies
of sleep onset insomniacs show that they consistently have a warmer core body
temperature immediately before initiating sleep, when compared with normal
healthy adults."
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