7 Reasons It’s Good for You to Sleep Naked
Updated: Nov. 20, 2019
These research-backed benefits will have you ditching the flannels and sleeping naked tonight.
Sleeping naked could improve your sleep quality
People may sleep better in cooler temps than warmer ones. Why? Your natural body temperature naturally declines as you sleep, says Christine Hansen, certified sleep coach, member of the National Sleep Foundation, and founder of Sleep Like a Boss. As your body temperature declines, your cortisol levels go down and your melatonin levels go up. “That’s why when it’s too hot, you feel nervous and jumpy and can’t sleep,” Hansen says. Because wearing PJs or sleeping under heavy covers can disrupt your body’s natural cool-down, it can, in turn, disrupt the quality of your sleep. However, you don’t want to be too cold either: If you’re so cold that you’re shivering, you’re probably not sleeping deeply. While there’s no one perfect temperature for good shut-eye, the National Sleep Foundation recommends setting your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees—but if you’re sleeping nude and waking up shivering, feel free to turn it up.
Sleeping naked could boost your self-confidence
Admittedly, the research here is limited, but Hansen believes it’s possible that sleeping naked can make you more at ease with yourself and your body. “It’s more the idea that you’re shedding a social norm that says being naked is bad or something you shouldn’t be or do that helps,” she says. (Do you have a healthy body image? Take this quiz to find your body image type, and how it impacts your life.)
Sleeping naked is pretty great for your sex life
There’s something really sexy about sliding into bed next to your significant other and feeling their skin on yours. And that skin-to-skin contact releases endorphins like oxytocin (also known as the hug hormone or the cuddle chemical), which puts you in the mood for sex. The research is limited, but “being naked is definitely more attractive than being in an old t-shirt or pajamas,” Hansen says. “I think it could definitely make a difference in your sex life.” Plus, find out the scientific reason why you should have sex before going to bed tonight.
Sleeping naked is good for your vagina
Sleeping in underwear, especially undies that are tight, made from synthetic fabrics or are a thong style, can create a breeding ground for fungus and infection, according to a study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. Sleeping nude helps your vagina “air out,” as it were, and also reduces the chances of bad bacteria throwing its delicate ecosystem out of balance. Don’t miss the other things your gynecologist secretly wants to tell you!
Sleeping naked may also be good for guy
It may pay to ask your guy to strip before he hits the sheets every night. Urologist Brian Steixner, MD, with the Jersey Urology Group in New Jersey, indicates that sleeping in underwear increases the likelihood of chafing, irritation, or bacterial infections down there. So what’s not to like about sleeping naked?
Sleeping naked might help you lose weight
Your body has two types of fat, white and brown. White fat doesn’t do much, but brown fat generates heat and may help you burn calories as you sleep. A 2014 study in Diabetes followed five men who slept in a climate-controlled room set to varying temperatures over four months. By the end of a month, the researchers found that with the heat lowered to 66 degrees (from 74), the men had almost doubled their volumes of brown fat. Thanks to this effect, cooler temps might boost your calorie burn by 30 percent. Sleeping nude in a cool room isn’t the same as putting in a strenuous workout, but hey, when it comes to losing weight, every little bit helps, right?
Sleeping naked will make your skin glow
Especially if you have a really good mattress, Hansen says. A high-quality mattress that’s not full of artificial materials will allow for better circulation, which lets your skin breathe. That, in turn, helps your skin regenerate itself (your collagen production levels go up at night while you sleep) throughout the night. The result? A lit-from-within glow when you wake up in the morning after sleeping naked. Plus, research shows getting enough z’s helps skin recover and refresh. If sleeping nude really does help you sleep, then the skin benefits are a bonus. (Psst: Prepping for a good night’s sleep may end with going to bed nude, but it starts with never eating these foods before bed.)
Medically reviewed by Michael Spertus, MD.
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