To sleep naked or in pyjamas - which is better?
To be or not to be in pyjamas when going to bed is an individual choice. But is it true that we sleep better when we're naked, as some people claim?
"To generalize and say that sleeping naked equals a better, deeper sleep - you can't really do that," says psychologist Markus B. Specht, who heads a sleep medicine clinic in Germany.
And yet it whether you sleep with or without clothes can still make a difference, Specht explains to us, giving tips on hygienic bedtime habits.
Opinions on sleeping naked are divided. What does sleep research show?
Markus Specht: It's true that it's very individual. Ultimately, it has to do with how you feel. But I wouldn't recommend sleeping naked. During sleep, we go through different sleep stages, always alternating between deep sleep and dreaming.
Our temperature regulation is not very good during the dream phase and if I sweat a lot, it can mean that my clothes - or my duvet if I am not wearing anything - get wet and then you might push the covers off. With winter temperatures outside, the next cold could be near.
As we spend almost 20% of the night dreaming, it is important that we at least protect ourselves from cooling down with nightwear. You should generally have a well-tempered bedroom, it should not be above 21 degrees and not below 17 degrees [Celsius].
By the way: Sleeping unclothed in summer can work well, but it can also be bad. Especially if you sleep with the window open and then a nice breeze cools you down. This can also lead to unpleasant side effects such as colds and the like.
When you sleep without clothes, you immediately think about the hygiene aspect. How hygienic is it really to sleep naked?
Specht: You can do it if you wash your bed linen at least once a week. Even if you wear pyjamas, you should change your bed linen every fortnight, as you spend an average of eight hours in bed. During this time, you will excrete bodily fluids, for example when sweating.
If you put on a sweaty T-shirt two days in a row, it won't smell as good. And pathogens can also increasingly spread. So you can imagine that it's similar with bed linen.
Is it even possible to say what makes a good pair of pyjamas?
Specht: Some patients like to sleep in tight clothing. And some need it very loose and baggy. The classic nightdress with a nightcap that was used in the past doesn't really exist anymore or hardly anyone still has them.
But everyone has to decide for themselves what they feel most comfortable in. If I go to bed in uncomfortable clothes and feel unwell, I'm bound to have trouble sleeping.
ABOUT: Markus B. Specht is a psychological psychotherapist specializing in behavioural therapy, as well as a somnologist and board member of the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine. He heads the Centre for Interdisciplinary Sleep Medicine at the DKD Helios Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany.
