Does your usual bedtime attire involve a cozy PJ set, undergarments, or nothing at all? BuzzFeed decided to look into the debate of whether we should sleep naked to see what real people had to say about this question — but it turns out that science has a lot to say about sleeping naked, too. So let's put this debate to bed once and for all, shall we?
According to the body of research that exists on the subject, the scientifically sound answer to the question of whether or not you should sleep naked is, yes — you should. For starters, you need to be cool (literally) in order to fall asleep, and the fewer layers you have on, the cooler you'll be. Having a high body temperature disrupts your natural body processes and can lead to insomnia, according to sleep expert W. Christopher Winter, MD; additionally, being cool can help lead to a more restful, deep sleep that will have you waking up refreshed the next morning. But better sleep is far from the only benefit to sleeping naked — it can also help to regulate your vagina: Letting it breathe after a day of undies and tight pants helps it to stave off harmful bacteria that can lead to infections. And lastly, sleeping naked could also possibly better your sex life if you sleep in the same bed as someone else. How? It's all down to skin-to-skin contact, which releases the feel-good bonding hormone oxytocin, leading to feelings of pleasure and desire. Indeed, one study found that couples who sleep naked have more physical and emotional intimacy between them, leading to healthier relationships in the long term.
However, despite all of this scientific evidence that shows that sleeping naked is good for you, only eight percent of Americans actually do sleep in the nude. That's where BuzzFeed's video comes into play — it delves into what everyday people have to say about the debate. Here are a few perspectives from both sides of the argument; scroll down to watch the full video for more.
Team Clothing:
One person in the video brings up the point of how living with other people could interfere with the practice of sleeping naked. "Let's say you have a roommate and you wake up in the middle of the night and you need water... are you going to just be naked there?" he asks. This raises a good point, since you obviously don't want to be exposing yourself to your roomies without any prior warning. As someone who both sleeps naked and has lived with roommates, however, I can say that there's an easy way around this conundrum: I always kept a robe next to my bed to avoid such awkward entanglements.
Keith, another Team Clothing member, postulates that not wearing clothes could allow poop particles to get all over your bed and sheets, leading to a less sanitary bed situation. Although there hasn't been a study done on this yet, wouldn't those particles just get on your clothing if you're sleeping with clothes on and thus keep them all on your body for hours? Just saying. I don't think there's really a way to avoid them.
Team Naked:
Many of the people on this side of the debate cite comfort as a primary reason for sleeping this way. "The sensation of being naked, just swimming in your sheets, is one of the greatest pleasures on Earth," one person boldly states. A woman also brings up the point of airing out your sweaty bits, which, as we discussed earlier, is actually legit. Two of them also mention body temperature regulation, which science also supports for Team Naked's corner.
The conclusion? The jury may still be out in the court of popular opinion, but science still wins. To see more, watch the full video below.
Images: Pixabay; BuzzFeedVideo/YouTube (2)
