7 Reasons Why You Should Sleep Naked

Sleeping naked has several potential health benefits. It may promote better sleep by allowing the body to cool down naturally, aid in weight loss by increasing metabolism, reduce junk food cravings, improve sexual activity and intimacy, keep private parts healthier, help maintain a younger appearance, and enhance mood upon waking up.

It’s one of life’s fundamental questions, like whether you’re a dog person or a cat person, or prefer to vacation in the mountains or at the beach: Do you sleep in pajamas or au naturel? If you’re like most Americans, you opt for PJs over sleeping naked.

But people who sleep naked may be on to something. While there hasn’t been much research done directly examining the effects of sleeping naked on sleep, current research suggests that sleeping naked may benefit your sleep.

1. Sleeping naked may mean better sleep

Why sleep naked? While the average normal body temperature during waking hours is 98.6°F, it drops around two degrees while you sleep, with the sharpest decrease in temperature at the beginning of the night. [5, 8] Then it begins rising again shortly before you wake up. [17]

Sleeping in pajamas can keep you a little warmer than you need to be, which may interfere with that natural overnight temperature drop. As a result, you’re more likely to wake up during the night or not sleep as deeply as you otherwise would if you were sleeping naked.

And that has its own consequences, including increased negative emotions, higher risk of heart disease, and reduced energy and sexual dysfunction. [4, 7, 9, 15]

2. Sleeping naked could help you lose weight

Sleeping cooler, which is easier when sleeping in the buff, might boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. A 2014 National Institutes of Health study found that maintaining a colder temperature overnight increases the body’s level of calorie-burning “brown fat.”

For the study, five young men slept in rooms that were kept at 75° for two months, 66° for one month, and 80° for one month. At the end of the experiment, researchers found that the men experienced a 42% increase in brown fat while sleeping in the 66° room, and also showed an increased ability to metabolize glucose. [10]

3. Your junk food cravings could subside

As the body cools down during sleep, you release more human growth hormone and less cortisol—aka the “stress hormone.” [11, 16]

Inhibit that cooling by wearing heavy pajamas, and cortisol production can stay elevated. Elevated levels of cortisol are associated with food cravings and increase your appetite, especially for sugary foods.[2] So, sleeping nude may lead to better eating habits.

4. You might have more sex

Another reason why sleeping naked is good for you is that it encourages two healthy activities best done on your mattress—sleep and sex. When you’re already naked, sex may be more likely to follow, and not just because you don’t have jammies getting in the way.

Skin-on-skin contact, one of the best benefits of sleeping next to someone, ups your oxytocin (the “love hormone”). Oxytocin is linked to better communication and emotional support between partners as well as more intense orgasms. [1, 14]

5. Your privates will be healthier if you sleep naked

One of the benefits of sleeping naked is that air circulates better to your private parts, reducing the moisture and heat that tend to build up in those typically covered areas. [3]

That’s a good thing because moist and warm conditions encourage the growth of itch-inducing yeast and the fungus that causes jock itch. [3] So go commando and let your privates breathe easy.

Sleeping naked calls for comfortable, breathable sheets

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6. You’ll likely look younger

Who needs pricey anti-aging treatments? All you have to do is take off all your clothes before getting into bed to look younger and healthier. The reason, once again, comes down to hormones. As your temperature drops during sleep, your body releases melatonin and human growth hormone, both of which may affect your appearance. [18]

According to a study in the Journal of Pineal Research, melatonin stimulates antioxidant production, which in turn curbs free radicals, the molecules that cause skin aging. [13] Meanwhile, research has shown that human growth hormone is important to maintaining healthy, youthful skin. [12]

7. You may wake up in a better mood after sleeping naked

It’s no secret that a lousy night of sleep leaves you feeling irritable, stressed, and generally not yourself. Studies have shown that even a few nights of reduced sleep can cause mental fatigue, anger, and stress. [6]

But thankfully, once you get back on track, those negative effects quickly subside. So why risk letting a pair of pajamas mess with your mood? Get nude. Sleeping naked is one of the easiest ways to promote a smooth trip to the land of Nod.

References

  1. Behnia B, Heinrichs M, Bergmann W, et al. Differential effects of intranasal oxytocin on sexual experiences and partner interactions in couples. Horm Behav. 2014;65(3):308-318. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.01.009
  2. Chao AM, Jastreboff AM, White MA, Grilo CM, Sinha R. Stress, cortisol, and other appetite-related hormones: Prospective prediction of 6-month changes in food cravings and weight. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2017;25(4):713-720. doi:10.1002/oby.21790
  3. Chen Y, Bruning E, Rubino J, Eder SE. Role of female intimate hygiene in vulvovaginal health: Global hygiene practices and product usage. Womens Health (Lond). 2017;13(3):58-67. doi:10.1177/1745505717731011
  4. Costa R, Costa D, Pestana J. Subjective sleep quality, unstimulated sexual arousal, and sexual frequency. Sleep Sci. 2017;10(4):147-153. doi:10.5935/1984-0063.20170026
  5. Del Bene VE. Temperature. In: Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. Boston: Butterworths; 1990. Chapter 218. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK331/
  6. Dinges DF, Pack F, Williams K, et al. Cumulative sleepiness, mood disturbance, and psychomotor vigilance performance decrements during a week of sleep restricted to 4-5 hours per night. Sleep. 1997;20(4):267-277.
  7. Hanson JA, Huecker MR. Sleep Deprivation. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; June 12, 2023.
  8. Harding EC, Franks NP, Wisden W. The Temperature Dependence of Sleep. Front Neurosci. 2019;13:336. Published 2019 Apr 24. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00336
  9. Lao XQ, Liu X, Deng HB, et al. Sleep Quality, Sleep Duration, and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study With 60,586 Adults. J Clin Sleep Med. 2018;14(1):109-117. Published 2018 Jan 15. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6894
  10. Lee P, Smith S, Linderman J, et al. Temperature-acclimated brown adipose tissue modulates insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes. 2014;63(11):3686-3698. doi:10.2337/db14-0513
  11. Mohd Azmi NAS, Juliana N, Azmani S, et al. Cortisol on Circadian Rhythm and Its Effect on Cardiovascular System. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(2):676. Published 2021 Jan 14. doi:10.3390/ijerph18020676
  12. Póvoa G, Diniz LM. Growth hormone system: skin interactions. An Bras Dermatol. 2011;86(6):1159-1165. doi:10.1590/s0365-05962011000600015
  13. Reiter RJ, Mayo JC, Tan DX, Sainz RM, Alatorre-Jimenez M, Qin L. Melatonin as an antioxidant: under promises but over delivers. J Pineal Res. 2016;61(3):253-278. doi:10.1111/jpi.12360
  14. Schneiderman I, Zagoory-Sharon O, Leckman JF, Feldman R. Oxytocin during the initial stages of romantic attachment: relations to couples’ interactive reciprocity. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012;37(8):1277-1285. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.12.021
  15. Vandekerckhove M, Wang YL. Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship. AIMS Neurosci. 2017;5(1):1-17. Published 2017 Dec 1. doi:10.3934/Neuroscience.2018.1.1
  16. Vakili H, Jin Y, Cattini PA. Evidence for a Circadian Effect on the Reduction of Human Growth Hormone Gene Expression in Response to Excess Caloric Intake. J Biol Chem. 2016;291(26):13823-13833. doi:10.1074/jbc.M116.722744
  17. Weinert D, Waterhouse J. The circadian rhythm of core temperature: effects of physical activity and aging. Physiol Behav. 2007;90(2-3):246-256. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.09.003
  18. Werner, S., Brismar, K., Wetterberg, L., & Eneroth, P. (1981). Circadian Rhythms of Melatonin, Prolactin, Growth Hormone and Cortisol in Patients with Pituitary Adenomas, Empty Sella Syndrome and Cushing’s Syndrome due to Adrenal Tumours. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 357–363). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-026400-4.50048-7

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