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Stone Age mattresses, alcohol and pillow favourites - five sleep episodes
by Martin Jungfer
Sleeping naked – nice or nasty?
21/5/2024
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
In wintertime, you have to be pretty dedicated; in summer, it might feel more natural: sleeping naked. But does ditching your PJs really improve your sleep quality?
Sleeping naked often leads to sex. And sex is good for your relationship. It also makes women in particular feel more relaxed and gets them in the mood more quickly.
A compilation of the pros and cons given by Swiss commuter newspaper «20 Minuten» is more informative than the unfounded statement above. It states that nudity loses its appeal when it becomes the norm. In other words, just because you’re sleeping in the nude, doesn’t mean you’re having more sex.
But enough with the sex now. After all, it’s not the only aspect of sleeping in the buff. There’s health and hygiene, too.
Improved sleep, a better figure and younger skin through nudity?
Proponents of sleeping without clothes argue that it has positive effects on your health. Relevant studies are sparse, and an alleged effect can often only be backed up indirectly at best.
Sleeping naked is said to be good for your skin’s health, for example. The reasoning? If there’s no fabric on your skin, you sweat less, which in turn helps your skin. Especially in the genital area, bacteria are less likely to find a place to breed if you’re not sweating down there.
In essence, it’s sweating that can be a problem, to which nudity is supposedly the solution. However, sweating per se is a completely natural mechanism of the body to keep your body temperature in balance. We go through various sleep cycles in one night. In the deep sleep phase, your body temperature drops slightly. In the REM phase, when you’re dreaming, it rises slightly. That’s when you sweat. So it’s completely natural to sweat. Being nude won’t stop this.
Sweat a hotbed for bacteria
For a relaxed and therefore restful and healthy sleep, you need to be in an environment that promotes an ideal body temperature throughout all phases of sleep. At least that’s what Andreas Lenzhofer, founder and CEO of pyjama manufacturer Dagsmejan, says. I asked him about sleeping naked. For business reasons alone, he’s probably not the biggest supporter of the naked sleeping theory. However, he does know a lot on the topic of sleep.
Sweat, he says, is not hygienic or unhygienic as such. It only poses a problem when it settles in fabrics and serves as a nutrient for bacteria of all kinds. And this is where pyjamas come into play:
The advantage of pyjamas is that they can be aired out every morning, preferably in the sun, which thoroughly dries the fabric and kills many bacteria and viruses.
Obviously, this is much harder to do with beds and mattresses. It’s rare that you see a mattress hanging out of a window. This means that moisture always remains in the sheets or mattress after making the bed in the morning. Or as Andreas puts it: «Party time for bacteria and viruses that will thank you by leaving a musty smell in the bedroom.» Nevertheless, pyjamas also need to be changed and washed regularly. Every two to four days, depending on how much you sweat.
Verdict: it depends...
Conversely, pyjamas have advantages. Sweat absorbed by the fabric is easier to air out. Especially if the PJs are made of the right materials. If that’s the case, you won’t be cold or catch a cold. What’s more, your sleep will be better as you won’t have to endure fat-burning bouts of feeling cold. I, for one, have already found my dream pyjamas:
What’s your preferred way to sleep? Have you had any insights over the years? Let the Community know in the comments.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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