Sleeping naked can help calm anxiety
If you're sleeping with someone, that is. It has to do with the way touching your partner triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin, which produces feelings of calmness and security.
“Any kind of pleasant touch and/or massage boosts the oxytocin system,” says Helen Fisher, PhD, a biological anthropologist and senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute. “So cuddling with your partner as you sleep is likely to trigger this oxytocin response. And I think that elevated oxytocin reduces cortisol—the stress hormone.”
It can affect male fertility
If you're trying for a baby, you might want to suggest that your partner skip the boxers or briefs in bed. Semen quality is reportedly better when men don't wear anything when they sleep. It has to do with the way snoozing naked helps lower core body temperature, as research has shown that heat has a negative effect on sperm. “Yes, this is a common factor in male fertility problems,” says Dr. Winter. “Keeping the testicles cooler and away from our warmer core is helpful.”
It makes you feel sexier
This isn't something scientists have studied as far as we know. But anecdotally speaking, many women say that sleeping in the nude makes them feel more sensual and in touch with their body. Cuddling with your partner skin-on-skin with nothing between you can reinforce your connection. Plus, it's just that much easier to have a sexual encounter if you don't have a layer of clothing to unbutton first.
Sleeping naked can help you fall asleep
The ideal temperature for sound snoozing ranges from 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Sleep Foundation; a cooler sleep environment makes nodding off and staying asleep easier. One way to help your body cool down? Strip down.
“Sleeping cooler does deepen sleep," says William Winter, MD, author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It. "Also, when we wear bulky clothing, we can have trouble cooling off easily if we get hot at night. Being naked facilitates easier temperature regulation...just pull up the blanket!”
