Pros and cons of not carrying anything in bed
Why sleep naked?
Those who prefer to sleep naked usually do so for reasons of comfort. It is difficult to deny that, if we sleep in clean sheets made of suitable materials, we will enjoy the freedom of movement offered by not wearing anything. In fact, clothes can twist while we move in our sleep, waking us up or even injuring the skin.
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In addition to the advantages it offers in terms of comfort, sleeping naked presents very curious health benefits, especially those derived from the increased production of melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone. Among the benefits of sleeping naked we find:
1. Sleeping without underwear improves reproductive health
Both men and women benefit from sleeping without underwear. In addition to being a more comfortable option (especially if we are used to it), sleeping without underwear has certain advantages.
Men who sleep without underwear, or with very loose underwear, have a higher production of sperm. Tight underwear keeps the testicles close to the body, which prevents the temperature regulation that these gonads need to properly produce sex cells.
Women who sleep without underwear also seehealth benefits from their reproductive system. Although some moisture is common in the female genitals, underwear can produce a warmer and more humid environment than usual, facilitating infections of bacteria or fungi. Sleeping without underwear, on clean sheets, can be beneficial to avoid recurrent infections.
2. Helps regulate body temperature
The quality of sleep is closely related to temperature. Science says that the ideal bedroom should maintain a temperature of between 15 and 19ºC to ensure optimal sleep. The climate and the economic and geographical situation of people can prevent you from having these dream temperatures in your room, but you can make things easier.
During sleep, our body regulates our body temperature somewhat differently than it does the rest of the day. It expels heat, especially through the extremities, through the evaporation of sweat and a delicate control of the blood supply. Thus, the body temperature decreases.
If we sleep naked, our body has it much easier to control our temperature and give us a higher quality rest. Although it has been seen that the thermoregulatory benefits of sleeping naked are not as great if the room temperature is not adequate or if our extremities are too cold – we can avoid it with a shower an hour and a half before bed.
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3. Improves the couple’s life
Bedtime is an important time for couples who live and sleep together . It is where many conversations take place, as well as being an excellent occasion to relax and let passion do its thing. Scientists have shown that couples who sleep together have slightly more pleasant nights.
Couples who sleep naked maintain more skin-to-skin contact, which releases more oxytocin , a hormone that is very important in the process of forming and maintaining emotional relationships. This leads to greater trust in the partner and greater satisfaction with the relationship.
In addition, sleeping naked greatly increases the chances of having sex with your partner spontaneously. A regular sexual life has many benefits on a psychological level -such as improving our self-esteem-, as well as being good for our own health and for maintaining a healthy emotional relationship.
4. Increases melatonin production
The hormone melatonin improves the quality of our sleep , making it deeper and more restful. It is also related to tissue maintenance, so good levels of this hormone can even slow down cell aging.
To improve our melatonin production we must sleep in cool rooms , between 15 and 19ºC. Sleeping naked helps lower our body temperature, facilitating the production of melatonin and increasing the beneficial effects that this hormone has on our health.
5. Improves our mood and controls appetite
As we have seen, sleeping naked is usually linked to a better quality of sleep , which translates into several benefits for our health. Another benefit derived from better sleep and increased production of melatonin is the reduction of cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which also influences appetite.
Fewer levels of cortisol will make it easier to control our impulses in terms of appetite , in addition to improving our mood by reducing our feelings of anxiety. Depressive, obsessive and paranoid behaviors are also relieved by better quality sleep.
Disadvantages of sleeping naked
Sleeping naked also has certain disadvantages that we can review . In general, the benefits of sleeping naked outweigh the harm that this practice can cause us, but in some cases sleeping naked is really a very bad idea.
Sleepwalkers should refrain from sleeping in the nude . It sounds like a joke, but sleepwalking events can be much more stressful and traumatic if, in addition to the confusion and stress that this sleep disorder represents, we add the possibility of going naked wandering around places where we would not like to be, as much as for the sleepwalker as for his witnesses.
It is also not a good idea forthose who sleep in excessively cold climates, or for those who have many qualms about sleeping naked. If we sleep in conditions that cause us anxiety or discomfort we are worsening our quality of sleep, so if we do not feel comfortable sleeping naked, we should not do it.
References
- Bernert RA, Turvey CL, Conwell Y, Joiner TE. Association of Poor Subjective Sleep Quality With Risk for Death by Suicide During a 10-Year Period: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Study of Late Life. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(10):1129–1137. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1126.
- Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, Audrey J Gaskins, Yu-Han Chiu, Carmen Messerlian, Paige L Williams, Jennifer B Ford, Irene Souter, Russ Hauser, Jorge E Chavarro, Type of underwear worn and markers of testicular function among men attending a fertility center, Human Reproduction, Volume 33, Issue 9, September 2018.
- Impact of sleep restriction on local immune response and skin barrier restoration with and without “multinutrient” nutrition intervention | Journal of Applied Physiology. (2019). Journal Of Applied Physiology.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.