The Happy Trail

Sleep naked!

This could be you, tangled up in a mess of silken sheets, dreaming of wind, feathers and baths — Photo courtesy of Flickr

According to a PR National Sleep Survey, only 8 percent of people admitted to sleeping naked. Sleeping naked seems to be a taboo thing in society and I don’t understand why! Here’s why sleeping naked is all pros and zero cons.

The PR survey reported that 2/3 of these participants only got a “restful night’s sleep” two or three nights out of the week. Only 10 percent reported to getting a restful sleep every night.

I’m no statistician, but perhaps sleeping in the nude could alleviate some of these sleepless peoples’ pain. According to the stats, 75 percent of people sleep in pajamas and 75 percent of people don’t sleep well throughout the week. We don’t know if both those percentages represent the same people, but is it ridiculous to assume that sleeping without pajamas is the key to sleeping soundly?

Brace yourselves for what’s next. In the same study reported by PR, over half the respondents said they couldn’t remember a quarter of all the dreams they’ve had. Another 10 percent reported remembering almost every dream the morning after the previous night. Could it be possible that the 10 percent of people remembering their dreams also represents the 8 percent of people sleeping naked?

I interpret this data as meaning that those who don’t sleep naked have less of a chance of entering the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of sleep. I believe that if you sleep naked you’ll have a higher chance of reaching REM and reaching a dream. And those who don’t reach for their dreams never escape the cold realities of life.

I love to sleep naked because I love to let go and sink into my sheets without the social construct that is clothing. Once you begin to sleep naked you’ll find it’s easy to change positions without a shirt tugging at your neck or twisting your pants. You will wake up feeling refreshed and relaxed.

The cottony warmth that comes from wearing clothes under covers disrupts the release of anti-aging hormones, says the website tuck.com. That’s right. You have anti-aging hormones (melatonin) that can only be activated by sleeping naked.

Your body needs to be below 70 degrees for the anti-aging hormones to be activated, according to the website health.com. I guess that’s why I noticed people on Tacoma Tinder look younger than in my hometown down south. Take advantage of the air and lose some layers when you slip into bed. Covering your body in wool at night could make you age faster.

People with all types of bodies suffer when temps get too hot for too long. The Huffington Post reported in the article “Five Reasons to Sleep Naked” that a cooler sleep environment helps to keep one’s balls healthier. An arid sleeping environment can greatly increase the joy of not getting yeast infections. Letting these body parts breathe at night is a great way you can take care of yourself while sleeping.

If you sleep naked you have a higher chance of sleeping soundly throughout the night and not waking during the witching hour (3 a.m.). The best way to ensure you reach your intended number of hours of sleep undisturbed is by sleeping naked, which lowers your skin temperature. When you have a lower skin temp your body will be scientifically less likely to wake up throughout the night, the Huffington Post revealed in the previously mentioned article.

Okay, so for those of you who have roommates, sleeping naked can be a little tricky. It’s my opinion that as long as you don’t have a history of sleepwalking, you should have the right to sleep naked in your bed. However, everyone may not agree and it is important that you communicate with your roommate about your desire to sleep naked. It is very likely that you will fall asleep faster and get better sleep if you are naked, which means a healthier mind. I think that sleeping naked while your roommate is in the room is worth the initial discomfort.

For those of you sleeping with a partner but not having skin to skin contact, you are not releasing the happiness hormone oxytocin. Sleeping naked with a partner is like sleeping with benefits because oxytocin alleviates stress and depression, reduces blood pressure and helps with gut inflammation, according to the dreams.com article “7 Reasons You Should Consider Sleeping Naked.” All these positive health aspects also help with sleep, meaning you get all these benefits on top of quality rest, as well as the feeling of being closer to your partner(s) or pillows.

It is understandable that some people are uncomfortable sleeping naked. When you sleep naked you put yourself in a very vulnerable position. What if somebody walks into your room in the morning? Or what if you sleep in and your roommate is awake or hasn’t left for class yet? Sleeping naked requires that you let go and relax. Relax and have faith in the researchers who argue the healthy outcomes and better sleep cycles for those who sleep naked. I promise that once you start sleeping without those pesky pajamas you’ll wonder why you didn’t sleep naked sooner.