7 Health Benefits of Sleeping Naked: Why you shouldn’t wear underwear to sleep

Many people are used to wearing their underwear always, even while sleeping. This may be because while growing up, parents are wont to telling kids to always wear their ‘panties’ and never allow anyone to see “down there”.

Many years later, there is now a controversy over the issue of sleeping naked and whether it is right or wrong to wear underwear to sleep.

Are you wondering if it is a good (or bad) idea to sleep in your underwear? Well, there is no clear answer to this. Most people are more comfortable sleeping in their underwear and do not see anything wrong in doing so, while others find it outright uncomfortable, hence they prefer to sleep naked. 

However, come to think of it. After a long day in lacy satin panties, thongs, or briefs and trunks for the men, why shouldn’t you opt for sleeping naked?

Why do you still want to cover your genital area tightly even while sleeping? When are your genitals going to take a break from underwear and breathe some fresh air? 

No doubt, Underwear has their Benefits

An underwear is an item of clothing worn underneath/inside the outer clothing. There are different types of underwear, and they serve different functions. One of such functions is to protect the outer garment from being stained by sweat, vaginal discharge, semen, pre- seminal fluid, menstrual blood, drops of urine, and faeces. They also protect the genitals from irritation caused by the friction between the outer clothing and the genitals. 

Surprisng health benefits of sleeping naked

At first, you may not be very comfortable with the thought of ditching your underwear when going to bed, but you can give it a try. If you are not comfortable sleeping naked, you can go for loose and comfortable pyjamas, nightwear, shorts, tees, and boxers instead. 

Sleeping naked has a lot of health benefits for both men and women, and here are some good reasons you should sleep without underwear:

●     Enjoy a comfortable sleep: when you sleep without underwear, you may discover that you sleep more comfortably than when you sleep in your tight and uncomfortable panties that bunch up, twist, and itch along the seams.

●    An added benefit of keeping undies off while in bed is that it may promote intimacy among couples.

Health benefits of sleeping naked for women:

As a female, the only reason and when you should wear undies to sleep is when you are on your period to protect the bedsheets from being stained. The following are some of the reasons you should start sleeping naked:

●    It allows your vagina to breathe: After covering your vagina the entire day with underwear and the underwear absorbing and trapping the sweats and secretions from the vagina, the most logical thing is to sleep without undies. This will allow the vagina to get fresh air, relieve dampness and keep the vagina dry and healthy.

●    Prevent or reduce the risk of bacterial and yeast infections: Bacteria and yeast thrive in warm and damp environments. The vagina is one part of the body that is always warm and moist as a result of sweat and regular vaginal discharge.

Wearing underwear, especially tight and non-cotton underwear can prevent air circulation and trap moisture in the vaginal area, making the vagina damp. This creates a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and yeast, resulting in vaginal issues such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and vaginal irritation.

●    It can help prevent vaginal odour and discomfort: The moisture from sweat, secretions, and heat trapped in the genital area by underwear can cause the vagina to develop a strong smell or odour and that can be uncomfortable.

But skipping underwear can allow the vagina to get more air, release heat and let sweat evaporate, thereby helping to reduce the odour to a minimum. 

●    Reduce the risk of damaging the skin around the vulva: The vagina and vulva are delicate areas prone to inflammation and infection. Always wearing underwear, especially tight ones made of synthetic fabrics can irritate the vulva and the skin around them. This can cause injury and bleeding in the groin area. This hurts and may even expose you to infections.

Health benefits of sleeping naked for men:

Just like women, there are some benefits and reasons men should consider sleeping naked. They are:

●    To prevent or reduce the risk of jock itch and other fungal infections: Just like in females, a warm, wet genital organ is a good breeding ground for fungi like tinea cruris, popularly known as jock itch. This can cause irritation and itching.  A breath of fresh air helps the groin area stay cool and dry, especially after prolonged periods of vigorous activity, and reduce the chances of jock itch or any fungal infection.

●    Reduces the chances of injury: Sleeping without underwear and instead in loose and comfortable shorts or pyjamas can reduce the chance of chafing. The friction between the skin and underwear may cause irritation and even injury to the penis or scrotum. And if this happens often or is left untreated, it may lead to infections.

●    To allow the testicles to stay cool: An increase in scrotal temperature can make the testicular environment less favourable for sperm production, resulting in testicular hyperthermia.

Underwear, especially tight underwear can press the testicles against your body and raise the scrotal temperature. With time, this may lower sperm count and increase the risk of infertility.

ALSO READ: Male Infertility – causes, evaluation and treatments

Caution:

Sleeping naked is not a treatment for any health condition, Urinary Tracts Infections, vaginal infections and low sperm count. Consult a Doctor if you are suffering from any urinary tracts or sexually transmitted infection

Let bedtime be the time for underwear break. We all love our undies but let’s also show our vaginas, vulvas, penises, and scrotums some love by giving them some time off from underwear. Take off that underwear and let your genitals breathe; let blood and air circulate down there.