Could Sleeping In The Nude Actually Make You Lose Weight? What To Consider
Sleeping naked is good for your self-confidence and can promote feelings of closeness with your partner. These are probably claims you've already heard. But did you know that there are other surprising things that happen when you start sleeping naked? For example, you could lose weight — and it has to do with the cool temperature your body is exposed to when the clothes come off before bedtime. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, cooler temperatures at night increase something called brown fat in our body, which speeds up metabolism and thereby contributes toward weight loss.
We have two main types of fat: white fat and brown fat, per Web MD. While white fat is essentially energy storage that happens when you take in extra calories, brown fat gets activated in cold environments, burning energy in order to maintain body temperature. As explained by personal trainer Ruth Stone (via Daily Express), "Passively burning calories in a process that produces around 300 times more intrinsic heat than any other organ in the human body," which is known as brown fat creation, contributes to an increase in metabolism.
Stone added that the effects of this increase in metabolism aren't reserved for nighttime alone. "The metabolic impact lasts throughout the day, meaning you will be actively burning more calories than you would be if you had slept with external heat provisions; otherwise known as, [pajamas]," she stated.
Sleeping in the nude can lower stress which can also contribute toward weight loss
Sleep performs several important functions for your body and the regulation of cortisol (the stress hormone) is one such function, per Medical News Today. According to a 2017 study published by Obesity, chronic stress can be linked to weight gain. Meanwhile, a 2012 study found a significant association between weight gain and less than five hours of sleep, as opposed to participants who got seven hours of sleep.
Another hormone sleep has an impact on is the hunger hormone ghrelin. Getting a proper night's sleep can keep your ghrelin levels in check, and therefore prevent food cravings or excessive intake of food.
While you might not think much of going to bed with your clothes on, a cooler temperature contributes to faster and better quality sleep. This has to do with your circadian rhythm and the optimal body temperature for sleep. "During the normal human circadian rhythm, sleep occurs when the core temperature is dropping. This drop in temperature starts about two hours before you go to sleep, coinciding with the release of the sleep hormone melatonin," explained Katherine Hall, a sleep psychologist at Somnus Therapy (via Newsweek). Cooling your body by sleeping in the nude helps you fall asleep faster and also promotes quality slumber.
Sleeping in a cooler environment doesn't have to mean being completely nude
For those who are already embracing the naked sleep lifestyle, you have more reasons to continue. But if sleeping naked isn't your cup of tea, or you have roommates, there's no need to worry.
If you want to reap the benefits of sleeping naked — like losing weight, for example — and don't want to go full nude, try taking off some layers or opting for light-weight garments in bed, shared behavioral sleep disorders specialist Michelle Drerup (via Cleveland Clinic). "Tank tops and boxer-style briefs don't possess a ton of warming qualities ... Just do what feels right and then rest easy with your decision," she advised. After all, a comfortable mental and physical state will directly impact your quality of sleep, too.
For those wanting to try nude sleeping, start by making sure you have more than two sets of sheets (so you can change them often) and consider showering before bedtime to avoid soiling your sheets too soon. Bacteria buildup between your sheets and allergic reactions are concerns when sleeping in the nude.