With warmer days finally in our midst, you might be thinking that its time to ditch any clothes you usually hit the hay with, but experts actually advise against it. That's right—sleeping naked, even on the hottest days of the year—is not the best idea!
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The opposite has been shown to be true
As counter-intuitive as it may sound, sleeping in the buff as a way to beat the heat might actually make matters worse for you. Leading sleep physiologist at Bupa's Cromwell Hospital, Julius Patrick, explains that:
When you sleep naked, sweat actually collects on the body and then remains there. However hot it is when you drift off, remember your body temperature will drop during the night. If you're wearing light clothes to sleep in, it soaks up any sweat you have, which can cool you down.
To corroborate his claim, fellow sleep expert and neurologist, Dr. Guy Leschznier echoes the opinion that one should be wearing light clothes to fight against scorching summer night heats. He says:
People may be better off sleeping in clothing rather than sleeping naked. If you're wearing a natural fabric like cotton it acts as a wick for your sweat and it can increase the surface area for the sweat to evaporate, thus may make you feel much cooler.
Other ways of keeping cool
But if you just can't help sleeping in the nude there are other ways of keeping cool that don't involve adding on layers at night. For one, taking a cold shower right before bed is a classic method many use.
If not, keeping curtains or blinds closed all day will prevent the heat from staying trapped in your room. Finally, though a little more on the unconventional side, you could also try putting your bed sheets in the freezer it's time to go to sleep.
