Sleeping Naked Has An Unexpected Effect On Your Mental Health

Despite the fact that one of the coziest things in the world just might be a set of flannel pajamas, it may be time to ditch them and embrace sleeping naked. It turns out that even if you're not totally comfortable with stripping down before hopping into bed, it's exactly what your body wants. "Sleeping naked can actually help to regulate your body temperature and improve your sleep quality," chartered physiotherapist and sleep specialist Sammy Margo told Metro UK. "It's a surprising yet effective way to stay cozy and comfortable during the cold months, while giving our bodies that much needed wellbeing boost too."

According to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, being naked can also increase self-esteem, give your body image a positive boost, and actually take life satisfaction to new heights. As the study stated, poor body image and low self-esteem are a worldwide problem due to the images we see in the media. But being naked, either alone or with others, in a non-sexual sense, can help with these negative thoughts because of exposure to bodies that haven't been idealized.

If giving your confidence and self-esteem a kick isn't enough for you to climb between the sheets naked, then you're in luck — it's not the only mental health benefit. And this other one is something we can all relate to.

Thanks to the physical aspects that come with sleeping naked, like keeping your body temperature regulated, your stress levels might decrease. According to a 2017 study published in The Journals of Gerontology Series B, sleep quality and stress are directly linked. Not that it should come as a major surprise to anyone who struggles to get some proper shut-eye, but the study found that when people can sleep better, their daily stress levels are more likely to stay in a healthy range. The research also found that for younger people sleep quality not only helps with their stress, but they're more able to tolerate high-stress situations if such things arise.

In a 2022 report by the American Psychological Association, a whopping 76% of U.S. adults had recently experienced mental and/or physical side effects of stress. While that figure points to just how common stress is, it doesn't mean it's okay. Long-term, chronic stress can become debilitating and result in a whole slew of medical issues. While this doesn't mean that sleeping naked will solve all the stresses in your life, it is a positive step that you can take for the sake of your mental health.

As much as sleeping naked can be great for you, it does come with a few downsides. For example, if you don't wash your sheets every week or, at the very least, every other week, you either need to get into the habit stat or skip sleeping naked. 

You also want to consider what kind of sleeper you are. "If you are a hot, sweaty sleeper, the last thing you should be doing is sleeping naked," Lara Smith, CEO of SOMÉ, a bedding brand that specializes in cooling sheets, told Forbes. "Pajamas that offer moisture management rapidly pull vapor and perspiration into their fibers and away from the skin, keeping you dry and out of pools of sweat." 

If you have sensitive skin and are prone to allergies, sleeping naked also may not be for you because you're crawling back into germs and other possible irritants without the barrier of pajamas to protect you. Fun fact: The human body sheds about 200 billion skin cells every hour, and that's definitely something to keep in mind. Increased mental health and decreased stress are fantastic benefits, but not at the cost of a possible skin infection. 

Because of all this, it's important to be realistic about your hygiene and your laundry habits and recognize any possible vulnerabilities, like skin issues, before sleeping in your birthday suit.