This is why sleeping naked could be good for your health

Sleeping naked could have a whole host of health benefits that you may not have known about (Photo: Shutterstock)Sleeping naked could have a whole host of health benefits that you may not have known about (Photo: Shutterstock)
Sleeping naked could have a whole host of health benefits that you may not have known about (Photo: Shutterstock)

With temperatures hotting up, it might not be surprising to find that one in five people in Britain sleep naked, according to research by bed company Sealy UK.

But should you be sleeping naked? Apparently switching out your pajamas for your birthday suit might have hidden health benefits.

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What are the benefits?

Neil Robinson, Chief Sleep Officer at Sealy UK, thinks that there is a variety of benefits to be had for sleeping in the nude.

Here are five potential benefits you could get simply by foregoing your nightwear and going au naturel.

Stay trim

Sleeping naked can supposedly help you lose weight. The results from a study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health found that keeping your body cooler whilst you sleep can help speed up your metabolism.

This is because your body works harder to create brown fat to keep you warm. That very brown fat created produces the heat needed to keep you warm by subsequently burning calories, therefore boosting your metabolism.

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Robinson says, “Best way to keep yourself cooler when you sleep? Either invest in a duvet with a lower tog, or sleep naked.”

Sleep better (and stay youthful)

By keeping your body temperature below 21 degrees celsius, you’ll help your body create a hormone called melatonin. Often referred to as the sleep hormone, melatonin works to give you the best sleep possible.

Another effect of melatonin production is that the hormone supposedly contains anti-aging properties.

Studies have shown that melatonin can help to stimulate the growth of special cells in your skill that produce collagen and elastin, which will keep your skin smooth and young.

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Feel more relaxed

The way our sleep cycle works the hormone associated with making us feel stressed dips whilst we’re getting some shut eye.

Specifically between the hours of 10pm and 2am, this is when the hormone reaches its lowest point, whilst we’re at our deepest point of sleep. After 2am, your body starts producing the stress hormone again, to get your prepared for the day ahead.

But if you awaken during this time, you’re exposing yourself to high levels of this hormone, which can lead to you feeling stressed - it can also trigger your appetite, meaning you’re more likely to turn to junk food during the day, which also poses health risks.

You’re less likely to experience this if you ensure that you sleep through the window where the stress hormone is at its highest - sleeping naked helps you get a deeper sleep by regulating your body temperature and keeping it within the best range for a good night’s sleep.

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Benefits for down below

Surprisingly, your genital health is also impacted by how you decide to sleep.

Researchers at Stanford University and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development conducted a study in 2016 where they studied 500 men over a period of a year to assess the sperm quality of men.

At the end of the study, they found that men who wore boxers and slept naked at night sustained 25 per cent less damage to the genetic material in their sperm.

Sleeping naked is also beneficial for women as well. Lots of common issues women experience with their vaginas are due to bacteria that thrive in warm, moist parts of the body.

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At night, when we tend to be warmer and more tightly wrapped up, issues such as thrush or vaginitis can rear their heads. Sleeping naked can help prevent these problems from developing in the first place.

Help you bond with your partner

The skin to skin contact of sleeping naked with your partner can contribute in the production of a hormone called oxytocin.

Also referred to as ‘the love hormone’, oxytocin has also been shown to help in lowering anxiety and stress, as well as possibly even giving your immune system a bit of a boost.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, The Sheffield Star

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