My first night of freshman year in college was an absolute nightmare.
It wasn't because I moved into my dingy dorm room in the midst of a huge storm, or even that the twin-sized cot I was expected to sleep in was gross and way too small (although those factors certainly didn't help my situation at all).
I was so uncomfortable because, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I had to go to sleep with clothes on.
That may sound like an extremely insignificant reason to associate your first day at college with such painful memories, but if you wear clothes when you go to sleep every night, then you have no idea what I was going through, OK?
Seriously, sleeping naked is the most liberating experience in the world. If only my brand new roommate would have understood that hitting the hay in the nude is just the norm for me, my first night in college would have been a breeze -- a breeze that I would have been able to feel all over my body.
Sleeping naked should be the new normal for anyone who tends to wear clothes when they call it a day. In fact, there's a whole pool of research that shows sleeping in the nude is better for your health, your state of mind and even your sex life.
Let's explore some of the reasons why we should go to bed every night in our birthday suits:
Sleeping naked is actually really good for your health.
We all know that a good night's sleep is a crucial building block in having overall good health. Most studies say a solid seven hours of sleep will help maintain energy and keep the immune system running smoothly.
But did you know that researchers also claim sleeping naked will further benefit your health?
The New York Times reports that sleeping in colder temperatures has been linked to improving our metabolisms, lowering blood sugar levels and even preventing type 2 diabetes. What greater way to cool off than stripping down to your bare skin?
The study, published in the June edition of Diabetes, was designed to see what effect lowering the thermostat during bedtime has on human health.
Scientists tracked every aspect of five healthy male's lives -- from what they ate to where they went -- while they spent four months clocking into the climate-controlled chambers at the National Institute of Health at 8 pm and sleeping there each night.
Scientists found that, when the participants were colder -- and sleeping almost entirely in the nude (do those paper-thin hospital scrubs really count?) -- their unhealthy fat began disappearing within just a few weeks, and their health was rapidly improving, especially in the metabolic aspects.
Let's not forget that there are plenty of other health benefits from sleeping in the nude. Cosmopolitan reminds us of the importance of airing out the goods and says there's more to the story than just keeping them smelling fresh and beautiful.
Apparently, the multiple layers of underwear, clothes, sheets and covers create high temperatures that are perfect for harmful microbes and nasty bacteria to grow down there, and absolutely nobody wants that.
However, research shows that by getting rid of the clothes, our bodies readjust and our privates certainly thank us for it. Plus, it helps make sure your parts don't smell nasty, which is always a win.
We're happiest when we strip it all off before sleeping.
Sleeping in the nude isn't just good for your health, apparently it's good for the soul, too. People who bare it all underneath the sheets are less stressed, sleep better and are even more content in their relationships.
Science links sleeping in the nude to these positive effects because cortisol production in the body is more stabilized when sleeping naked.
Cortisol is the complex chemical our body produces that can have some detrimental effects if overproduced, causing increased anxiety, cravings, weight gain and much more.
However, the chemical is kept at normal production levels when our body is as close to normal temperatures as possible, which happens when we sleep in the buff.
One study even showed that people who sleep naked together are happier in their relationship, the Daily Mail reports.
In a survey of 1,004 participants, those who slept with their significant other skin-to-skin were the happiest of all couples, while the most unhappy relationships literally wore onesies to sleep.
Hm, I wonder why anyone would feel unhappy in a relationship where their lover is rocking a onesie to sleep? Pajamas for 4-year-olds aren't chic? Must be some maturity issues.
It's not a stretch to picture a much happier world when stripping our clothes before bed. For women, this means no constraining bras, or in other worlds, freedom. For guys, this means we can let it all hang out and not have to park it to the left or the right every time we roll over.
We're more comfortable when we sleep naked, and we all know the outcome of a beautiful night's sleep: We wake up feeling refreshed, renewed and absolutely golden.
Our days feel brighter, our smiles grow wider, and we're more calm and at peace with the world around us after sleeping like angels.
Sleeping naked will keep your sex game strong.
So now that we know sleeping in the nude is good for the mind, body and soul, you really have no excuse to still be wearing any of those night clothes with you to bed.
If you're still gripping your sweats and underwear while you toss and turn, here is my final plea to you to ditch the clothes once and for all: Sleeping in the nude causes our lives to be filled with more frequent (and much better) sex.
There are a number of reasons for this, and it doesn't just include sleeping naked next to your boo like you're probably assuming. Apparently, there's much more to it than just that.
Jennifer Landa, author of "The Sex Drive Solution For Women," tells Cosmo,
We can tune in to sensations like the feeling of the sheets and the coolness of the air, which can be very sexy, and feeling sexy increases confidence.
Who knew that a cool breeze and some silk sheets stirs up the sexy in bedroom?
Oh wait, I did, which is why I make sure I sleep naked literally every single night of my life. Just like how I abide by the superstition of looking someone in the eyes when saying "cheers" so I don't wind up with 12 years of bad sex, as the Germans say. I am passionate about my sex, and I'm not willing to take any chances.
If bearing it all each night while I sleep means a jolt in my sex life, as well as a healthier and happier mind and body, count me in. You can expect me to be naked every night from now until the end of forever.
Sorry, future roommates.
Citations: National Sleep Foundation, New York Times, Cosmopolitan
