Should You Sleep Naked? Science-Backed Pros & Cons
Should You Sleep Naked?
It’s a question many won’t ask out loud… should you sleep naked? The answer, well, it depends. Sleeping in your birthday suit can bring a whole host of benefits including; improved deeper sleep, enhanced hormone health & increased fertility. Plus, your partner will (hopefully) be rather pleased with the arrangement.
Let’s dive into the pros and cons of ditching your pyjamas, what the science tells us, and whether sleeping naked could actually help you sleep better, feel healthier, and perform at your best.
Body Temperature and Circadian Rhythm
Most people know that the Circadian Rhythm is influenced by exposure to light, as light fades part of the brain called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), detects the changes in light and begins to prepare the body for sleep.
Your body's natural preparation for sleep involves a gradual drop in core temperature. This cooling process continues through the night, reaching its lowest point around 4–5 AM, typically about 1°C (1.8°F) lower than your daytime baseline.
Melatonin (the sleep hormone), plays a role here, helping to drive the cooling process by triggering vasodilation, which is the widening of blood vessels in your hands, feet, and skin, allowing heat to escape and core temperature to drop.
Studies have shown that skin and peripheral temperature are strongly linked to faster sleep onset. Allowing heat to escape makes falling asleep easier. → Source: Kräuchi & Wirz-Justice, Sleep Research
So when it comes to optimising your circadian rhythm, should you sleep naked? Absolutely, yes. Remove a layer of insulation by ditching your pyjamas and allow your body to cool as nature intended.
Benefits of Cooler Body Temperatures
Cooler body temperatures are linked to deeper stages of sleep, particularly slow-wave sleep (deep sleep).
Slow Wave Sleep is critical for:
Muscle repair
Immune function
Memory consolidation
Growth hormone release
Sleeping deeper isn’t the only benefit of being naked, there are some lesser known benefits that come with stripping off. Let me explain.
Cortisol and Melatonin
There are two key hormones that influence your sleep cycle, Melatonin and Cortisol. Sleeping naked provides your body with the best opportunity to optimise these hormone levels.
Melatonin – The “sleep hormone,” increases in cooler, darker environments (to help you fall asleep).
Cortisol – The “stress hormone,” naturally drops at night and rises in the morning (to wake you up).
Sleeping naked removes the insulating layer provided by pyjamas, exposing your body to a cooler environment, helping to:
Lower cortisol levels (reducing anxiety and restlessness).
Boost melatonin naturally, deepening your sleep cycle.
When you were Googling, ‘should you sleep naked’, you probably didn’t expect to learn that it can help to reduce your stress levels. And because too much stress isn’t good for anyone, be kind to yourself and jump into bed starkers.
Male Fertility & Hormone Benefits
For guys reading this, I bet you didn’t know that your little swimmers perform best in cooler temperatures. The testes are located outside the body for a reason, it helps them to maintain a temperature around 2–4°C below core body temperature, which is essential for sperm production. A slight increase by 1–1.5°C can impair something called spermatogenesis (the creation of sperm), leading to reduced sperm count and quality.
Nine different studies found that high ambient temperatures significantly decreased semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, motility, progressive motility, and normal morphology.
Not only does heat cause issues for your little olympians, but it can also significantly impact your Testosterone levels.
I won’t go into the science of it here, but heat negatively impacts testosterone production in various ways including; Disruption of Leydig Cell Function, Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage & Hormonal Axis Disruption.
So, “Should you sleep naked”? If you want to boost fertility and maintain optimum levels of Testosterone, then absolutely yes.
Intimacy and Connection
This one is self-explanatory but I wanted to touch on it anyway. Sleeping naked with your significant other provides an opportunity for intimacy and connection. Skin to skin contact has been proven to increase oxytocin, the "bonding hormone," which lowers stress and improves emotional connection, both of which can improve sleep.
The only issue, sleeping naked to cool things down might end up heatings things up, if you catch my drift.
Possible Downsides
When sleeping naked, you skin is in direct contact with the bed sheets. So changing them more often is probably a good idea.
If you live somewhere really cold, then you it could result in disrupted sleep. Just like being too hot at night if you end up getting too cold, thermoregulatory responses could kick in, which are incompatible with deep restful sleep.
Is it right for you?
If you're a hot sleeper
If you're looking to improve deep sleep, fertility (guys) or hormone health
If you want to boost intimacy
Tips for Sleeping Naked Comfortably
Use breathable, natural fabrics for sheets
Keep the room at optimal sleep temperature (around 18°C)
Shower before bed for hygiene
Consider sleep accessories (eye mask, weighted blanket, etc.)
Final Verdict: Should You Sleep Naked?
Given the wide range of health benefits we’ve explored, from deeper, more restorative sleep to reduced stress, improved fertility, and even enhanced intimacy, it’s well worth giving it a try. That being said, if you live in a colder climate, don’t force it to the point of discomfort. Shivering in bed all night isn’t fun and isn’t the aim here.
If you found this article on ‘Should You Sleep Naked? Science-Backed Pros & Cons’ helpful, you might also enjoy exploring some other articles on sleep optimisation, recovery hacks, and longevity strategies. See the all here.
References
Barthwal P, Singh RP, Kaur G, et al. Therapeutic potential of curcumin in metabolic diseases. Covers the therapeutic potential of curcumin in metabolic diseases. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35936544/
Maiti P, Singh RP, Kaur G, et al. Recent updates on pharmacological properties of curcumin in neurological disorders. Provides recent updates on the pharmacological properties of curcumin in neurological disorders. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37742481/
Maiti P, Singh RP, Kaur G, et al. Recent updates on pharmacological properties of curcumin in neurological disorders. Another link to the same article about curcumin's pharmacological properties in neurological disorders. Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10451682/
Singh RP, Kaur G, Bhardwaj M, et al. Unveiling the multifaceted potential of N-acetylcysteine in mitigating chronic diseases: a comprehensive review. A comprehensive review detailing the multifaceted potential of N-acetylcysteine in mitigating chronic diseases. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39275346/
Soleimani V, Sahebkar A, Hosseinzadeh H. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and its major constituent curcumin as an adjuvant in cancer therapy: A review. A review on turmeric and curcumin as an adjuvant in cancer therapy. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5138076/
