The connection between sleep and health is clear—sleep has many science-backed benefits.
Sleeping naked? Well, there is no direct evidence that sleeping naked will improve your health.
But if sleeping naked helps you sleep better because it makes you feel calmer and more relaxed, then the habit may contribute to better health. It turns out, sleeping naked can help regulate your body temperature and, in turn, improve your sleep.
Getting enough shuteye can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your mood, and reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Top 4 Potential Benefits of Sleeping Naked
The temperature of your room can affect the quality of your sleep—for better or worse. Here’s why a cool room (and a cool body!) can benefit your sleep and overall health. All that relaxation has other health benefits, too.
1. It can help you fall asleep faster
Temperature is an important factor in helping you sleep. This is because sleep cycles are linked to circadian rhythms, which are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes you experience over a 24-hour period. The hours of light and darkness drive circadian rhythms, which affect functions such as hunger, hormone levels, and sleep patterns. Circadian rhythms also affect body temperature, making people hotter or cooler at different times of the day.
At the end of the day, your circadian rhythm triggers the release of melatonin and lowers your core temperature. That dip in temperature promotes drowsiness and makes falling and staying asleep easier. The Cleveland Clinic notes that overheating can lead to sleep disturbances and nighttime awakenings. Research suggests that the ideal bedroom temperature is between 66 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another main benefit of sleeping naked is that the mere contact of the skin with the air can cool you down. Staying cool may help you sleep more easily. Being naked can also prevent you from overheating at night.
2. It may help you improve your metabolism
Shedding clothes at night can help lower your skin temperature and improve your overall metabolism. Some studies show that being cool during sleep forces your body to work harder to maintain a body temperature of 98.6 degrees. A special type of body fat called brown adipose tissue is important for the production of body heat. Brown fat needs energy to work, so it goes into the stores of white fat cells to do the work.
Research suggests that quality sleep activates the activity of brown fat and provides an overall metabolic boost. A cool room and an empty body may improve sleep quality and give that brown fat a chance to work its metabolic magic.
The quality of sleep also affects metabolism and extends to waking life. Research shows that getting six or more hours of quality sleep each night is associated with weight loss. The reasons for that are complex. For one thing, lack of sleep seems to cause appetite. People who don’t sleep regularly are more likely to try to cut down on low energy during the day by reaching for high-calorie snacks for a snack.
Lack of sleep also has a negative impact on metabolism. Experts believe that poor sleep suppresses appetite control, which in turn affects the body in ways that can lead to obesity.
3. It can reduce stress levels and overall anxiety
Sleep quality can affect mental health and vice versa. Being stressed and anxious can cause sleep problems such as insomnia. At the same time, fatigue from lack of sleep can make feelings of anxiety and depression more prominent. A 2021 study on sleep and mental health found that not getting enough sleep or not getting enough REM sleep was linked to a higher incidence of mental health concerns.
Stress can make it difficult to sleep. How many times do you lie in bed with your mind racing instead of curling up to get some rest?
4. It can improve the health of your skin
The concept of beauty sleep has a surprising basis in science. A good night’s sleep does more than reduce the risk of waking up with circles under your eyes. A 2022 study showed that late bedtimes can reduce skin’s moisture content, firmness, and elasticity. Another study showed that poor quality sleep was related to increased oil production, decreased skin elasticity, and moisture retention.
Hitting the sheets early and without clothes can be a helpful feature in your nighttime skin care routine.
The Role of a Healthy Diet in Sleep Quality
Another factor that affects the quality of sleep is nutrition. What you eat can affect how well you sleep.
There is a lot of anecdotal data about how fried foods, spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine can leave you tossing and turning. On the other hand, scientific evidence shows that a balanced diet can improve sleep quality. Recent research suggests that the best diet plan for better sleep is a diet high in protein including sleep-promoting amino acids like tryptophan, which is found in lean meats, milk, and beef. Eating high-antioxidant fruits like cherries and kiwis and low-glycemic index carbs like whole grains, beans, and nuts are also good for sleep.
You can see how your diet affects your sleep quality in the MyFitnessPal app. Simply pair your MyFitnessPal account with health data from apps like Health Connect or Apple Health. MyFitnessPal will show you how your daily choices, water, and exercise affect your sleep pattern.
Bottom Line: Stay Cool, Stay Comfortable
Whether you choose to sleep naked or not, being comfortable and cool can contribute to better sleep. Throw away the PJs, crack the window, turn up the A/C—just keep the temperature low for better rest, and therefore, better health.
Originally Posted 8/28/2020 | Updated 6/25/2024
Source link
