The naked truth about going to bed in your birthday suit

And so to World Sleep Day…yep, I am writing this week’s column from under the duvet. Well, I stuff my face on World Chocolate Cake Day and drink to excess on National Pub Day, so it would be rude not to spend the day in bed on World Sleep Day wouldn’t it?

Anyway, naturally you will see plenty of articles today on the benefits of getting a good night’s kip, including improved mood, better cognitive function, a stronger immune system, and reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, blah, blah, blah.

However, according to Travis Bradberry, author of The Seagull Manager, you can get all these benefits, as well as sleep better, make more money, reduce stress, and lose weight simply by getting naked.

Travis cites research from the University of Amsterdam no less, which found that lowering your skin temperature increases the depth of your sleep and reduces the number of times you wake up in the night. Stripping down to your birthday suit is a great way to lower your skin temperature without changing the temperature of the room.

It also helps fight stress, lowering your risk of heart disease, depression, and obesity in addition to decreasing your cognitive performance. Stress throws your cortisol levels out of whack. Proper rest helps to restore normal cortisol levels, which improves your stress level regardless of what’s happening around you.

In fact, sleeping naked can also help you to lose weight. A study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health found that keeping yourself cool while you sleep speeds the body’s metabolism because your body creates more brown fat to keep you warm.

Brown fat produces heat by burning calories (300 times more heat than any organ in the body), and this boosts your metabolism all day long to help you lose weight. In addition to the metabolic effects of sleeping in the buff, removing your clothes improves blood circulation, which is good for your heart and muscles. The quality sleep you’ll enjoy also increases the release of growth hormone and melatonin, both of which have anti-ageing benefits.

Sleeping starkers also makes you more comfortable in your own skin. As your comfort with your body increases, so does your self-esteem and confidence. A University of Melbourne study found that confident people earn higher wages and get promoted more often than their less confident counterparts.

The real bonus, of course, is that you can achieve all of this while you are sleeping.

Nighty night…

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