Skip the flannel pajamas and over-sized t-shirts – experts say sleeping au naturel is better for your health.
Researchers found that sleeping naked is not only comfortable, but it regulates your skin temperature, preventing you from waking in the middle of the night.
Forgoing clothes at bedtime also keeps bacteria that thrive in warm moist areas at bay, and it boosts your immune system if you sleep naked with your partner.
Only 12 percent of Americans sleep naked, according to a poll from the National Sleep Foundation, but it is highly recommended by both researchers and doctors.
The human body is designed to decrease in temperature during sleep, and not only does sleeping in the nude keep you comfortable through the night, but it determines when your body is ready to fall asleep and when it is time to wake up.
One study found that even the slightest cooling of the skin helps individuals fall into a much deeper sleep, according to Seeker.
Cooling the body is especially beneficial to the elderly, and this research confirms previous studies that found warmer skin, in both humans and animals, disrupts sleep.
‘By employing a thermosuit to control skin temperature during nocturnal sleep, we demonstrate that induction of a mere 0.4 degrees C increase in skin temperature, whilst not altering core temperature, suppresses nocturnal wakefulness (P<0.001) and shifts sleep to deeper stages (P<0.001) in young and, especially, in elderly healthy and insomniac participants,’ reads the study published in the journal Brain.
Staying cool through the night has also been found to increase your metabolism.
While sleeping in colder temperatures ‘brown fat’, a healthy fat found in the neck, is activated.
This good fat will help you burn calories while it generates body heat.
Cooling down at night also increases growth hormones and decreases cortisol, which creates better sleeping patterns and helps reduce your belly size, reports Men's Health.
On the nights you have a good slumber, your body was able to fully recuperate with lower cortisol levels, which it will begin replenishing the next day so you will have energy when you wake up.
If your sleep is interrupted, your body automatically produces extra cortisol, which will increase your appetite the next day.
Many specialists recommend sleeping naked as a way for your skin to breathe, which is especially important for women.
Yeast infections, a type of bacteria, thrive in warm moist areas, which can be created while sleeping in pajamas.
'Women’s private parts are covered up all day by confining clothing and nonbreathable fabrics, which cause vaginal irritation and moisture to collect in this area, Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a clinical assistant professor of OB/GYN at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, told LiveScience.
This area can turn into a breeding ground for yeast and bacterial infections, so letting this region breathe for a few hours at night will keep bacteria at bay.
Skipping clothes isn't just recommended for females, but it is important for a man in order to maximize their sperm production.
It is recommend that a man's scrotum sits at around 95 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just a tad cooler than the rest of your body, reports Men’s Health.
It’s been found that the quality of sperm suffers if your testicles become too warm, which was shown in a study that tested the semen of men who used saunas.
Although sleeping naked has proven to be beneficial to your health, it is just as good for your relationship.
Experts say that skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin in your brain, also known as the ‘love hormone’, which brings couples together emotionally and increases trust within the relationship.
This type of contact has also been found to boost your immune system, steady cortisol levels and lower blood pressure.
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