According to a study which polled 1,015 people belonging to three different generations, it was revealed that more than half of the people polled sleep naked. The percentage for the women participants in the study stood at 56% while that of men was at 60%. If analyzed in terms of generations, it gave even more revealing results. The Millennials are more likely to sleep naked as 65% of them were shown to be sleeping in the nude while people belonging to Gen X were at 45%. The baby boomers were trailing at 39%. While some readers might assume that singles were more likely to sleep naked, the results showed otherwise. Only 49.2% of singles sleep naked according to this study as compared to 54.7% married ones. The highest percentage, 72.4%, was revealed for people who are in a relationship. 54% of the people also mentioned that their sleep partner slept naked as well. The survey was conducted by Mattress Advisor and also revealed that when those people who sleep naked were asked what happens if they have to sleep clothed. 4.8% stated that they felt better, 18.2% did not feel any difference, but a large percentage, i.e. 77% felt worse.
Key Advantages & Benefits of Sleeping Naked
Sleeping naked is not the first thing to come to one’s mind when thinking about healthy living. However, just by taking the pajamas off and sleeping in the nude, an individual can get a myriad health benefit. Some of the benefits are easy to guess, but there are many others which a normal person would not think of.
Getting to Sleep Faster
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), the body temperature of an individual is related to how fast the person can go to sleep. This is a part of the individual’s circadian rhythm. This is the biological rhythm that performs the function of a biological clock for sleeping purposes. As the person cools down after taking the nightwear off, this signals the body that it is time to go to sleep. As such, those people who sleep naked tend to get to sleep faster.
Superior Sleep Quality
There are many other benefits of cooler temperatures while sleeping besides enabling the individual to get to sleep faster. It also improves the overall quality of sleep. According to NSF, 67% of the respondents polled in a study which asked them the factors they thought were important for overall sleep quality mentioned cool temperatures as the main factor. Experts on sleep state that sleep quality is the best within the range of 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperatures go too low and too high, the Rapid eye movement (REM) is affected negatively. REM is the dream stage of sleep, and it is extremely important in terms of refreshing the sleeper’s body as well as the brain. Sleeping naked ensures that the individual would stay cool throughout the night 1. (Bradberry, 2016).
Reduction in Anxiety and Stress
The overall stress and anxiety levels tend to go down as the individual takes off his/her pajamas and goes to sleep in the nude. Stress levels can go very high if the person cannot sleep properly. The quality of sleep is, therefore, related to the stress levels. Studies have even suggested that poor sleep quality persisting over a long period could lead to depression or even an increase in the risk of suicide as such insomnia is caused by stress and anxiety. A good way around the problem is to sleep in the nude, thereby reducing the levels of both anxiety and stress, and this reduction would improve the quality of sleep.
Healthier Skin
Sleeping naked improves the quality of sleep and also makes the skin healthier. The skin of an individual breathes better when it is not restricted within the nightwear. Sleeping naked ensures that the entire body skin breathes throughout the night freely and the overall effect on the health of the skin ins positive. A study was conducted to adcertai9nthe benefits of proper sleep or the lack of it about healing a small wound. The participants were divided into three groups. The first group was allowed to get the right amount of sleep, while the second one was deprived of sleep. The third one was also sleep deprived but was given extra nutrients. The first group with adequate sleep recovered faster as compared to the other two groups. The extra nutrients given to the third group had no significant effect 2.
Reduction in Risk of Heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
A study was carried out using a nationally representative sample in the United States and tried to find the effect of sleep disturbances. The study revealed that in case of sleep disturbance on 3 out of 7 nights is associated with a higher risk of having a history of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and coronary artery disease. Even when the data collected was adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors, the association remained intact for coronary artery disease, diabetes, and obesity 3. This shows that sleep deprivation or disturbance could lead to serious health issues. The act of sleeping naked helps to relieve such pressures on sleep deprivation and allow the individual to sleep throughout the night comfortably and healthily quite easily. Proper sleep would then lead to better metabolism and better heart-related health.
Avoidance of Weight Gain
A study was carried out to ascertain the effect of sleep deprivation and weight gain. The study continued to follow 21,000 people over three years and found out that there existed a possible link between sleep deprivation and weight gain. Those people who had been sleeping 5 hours or less each night was found to be having more likelihood of gaining weight. This shows that sleeping naked would enable the individual to stay trim. As the body would be cooler in the night due to the absence of nightwear, this would lead to an increase in the calorie burning capability of the body. A small study followed five individuals who were allowed to sleep at cool temperatures (66°Fahrenheit), and it was observed that such a sleep pattern helped they bodies to increase activity related to burning fats 4.
Enhancing Male Fertility
A study was carried out on 656 males, which revealed a possible link between lower sperm count and the act of wearing tight-fitting underwear. Those men who had been wearing boxer shorts showed a higher sperm count as compared to those men who had been wearing tight fitting ones. The sperm concentration was also superior in the former group. This study shows that sleeping naked would relieve pressure on the male testicles and keep them cool and at optimal temperatures. This would lead to better sperm health in terms of both sperm count and sperm concentration levels 4.
Relationship Improvement
Sleeping naked helps to improve the relationship between sleep partners. The experience for both the partners is wonderful and the skin to skin contact according to a study between adult partners results in the release of a substance called oxytocin which has significance in the building of partnership between the two partners. Partners touching each other is also a great way to improve health as well as the relationship. Therefore, sleeping naked would lead to both improvement in health as well as relationship 4.
Increase Self-Esteem
Sleeping naked helps the individual to get in touch with his/her body, and this boosts the self-esteem in the individual. A study carried out to find the relationship between the overall body image and self-esteem revealed that if one spends time naked, this relationship is boosted. Sleeping naked is the ideal way to spend time naked and get the benefits related to health as well as self-esteem 4. The increase in self-esteem increases the confidence level. It is not just important in terms of sociability, but it acts as a pillar of success for the individual. It encourages the person to take on difficult challenges and also be exhibit perseverance in the face of hardships. A study conducted by the University of Melbourne found out that people who had confidence had higher salaries and wages, and they got promoted faster than their less-confident colleagues. Sleeping naked makes the individual more confident as one gets to become more comfortable in one’s skin. The increase in comfort with the individual’s own body leads to both a build-up of confidence as well as self-esteem 1.
References
1Bradberry, T. (2016, September 13). 4 Reasons Sleeping Naked Makes You Healthier And Wealthier. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/09/13/4-reasons-sleeping-naked-makes-you-healthier-and-wealthier/#58cd2b6569b4
2Vijay. (2019, March 1). 7 Surprising Benefits Of Sleeping Naked. Retrieved from Our fitness Bra: https://ourfitnessera.com/sleeping-naked/
3Michael A. Grandner, N. J. (2017, August 1). Sleep disturbance is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. NCBI Resources. Retrieved from NCBI Resources.
4Sutton, J. (2018). Top 10 Benefits of Sleeping Naked. Healthline.
