2019.09.06 Mattress Advisor
Do you don pajamas or a nightgown at night, or do you ditch any clothing altogether when it’s time for bed? There is a multitude of factors that can contribute to a good night’s rest, and people’s clothing choices are just one of them. Some find they sleep better in the nude, while others reach peak slumber while swathed in cozy pajamas.
Everyone has their preferences as far as sleeping goes, so we set out to determine how many people prefer to sleep in the buff. Does sleeping naked impact sleep quality? What about how often people connect with their partners on nights in the nude?
Statistics show that around a quarter of U.S. adults don’t get enough sleep 50 percent of the time. Poor sleep habits not only work against your brain but are also bad for your health. Read on to see our results and understand how sleeping naked might be the key to getting the proper shut-eye we all need.
Sleeping in the Buff
We conducted a survey of 1,015 people about their sleeping preferences. Our results show that more than half of people sleep naked, although more men (nearly 60 percent) than women (almost 56 percent) said they didn’t wear a stitch of clothing while sleeping. Broken down by generation, millennials were quite a bit more likely to sleep in the nude (65 percent) than either Gen Xers (45 percent) or baby boomers (39 percent).
Next, we looked at how relationship status corresponded with sleeping nude. Single people were the least likely (49 percent) to sleep naked, while married people (55 percent) were a little more likely to do so. However, those in relationships were dominant in this category, with over 72 percent saying they slept naked. 54% of nude sleepers said their partner usually sleeps naked as well.
Interestingly, over half of partnered nude sleepers noted their other half also slept naked. It could be that they’re influenced by their partner’s choice, or just find that they sleep better with skin-to-skin contact – or even both.
Why Go Au Naturel?
There are dozens of reasons people choose to sleep unclothed. While there are
many articles out there that name health-related reasons for sleeping naked, the most commonly cited reason (noted by 69 percent of respondents) was that it was comfortable sleeping in the nude. Roughly 58 percent said it was relaxing, and more than 54 percent said they slept better naked.
Some people tried to avoid sweating while sleeping (nearly 40 percent), and others wanted their skin to be free and able to breathe (almost 38 percent). Less common reasons included wanting to boost their love life (more than 16 percent), to keep their genitals free and happy (nearly 15 percent), and because they wore clothes all day (28 percent).
We asked the 58 percent of people who slept naked how their sleep quality was when sleeping clothed. The difference was pretty impressive: 77 percent of people who normally slept naked reported they slept worse when wearing clothes to bed, while roughly 18 percent noted no change and about 5 percent felt they slept better with clothes.
Getting Walked In On
Sleeping naked may be comfortable for those who swear by it, but there are some risks that nude sleepers take when they hop into bed with nary a stitch on. Around 52 percent of men and 43 percent of women reported that someone had walked in on them while they were naked.
It really depends on the circumstances, of course – if you’re bundled up with blankets, nobody will notice, but if you’re stretched out with the covers askew, they may get a glimpse of something you’d rather they not see.
Another common problem with sleeping naked was getting bitten by a bug, which roughly 50 percent of respondents said happened to them. Of course, a fear of bugs and arachnids is pretty common (a
2017 survey showed that around 20 percent of Americans have that fear), but if you’re in the nude, there’s far more square footage of exposed skin for an insect or spider to nibble on.
Other reasons were less common but not any less cringe-worthy. Reported situations also included wetting the bed, being forced to walk out in the nude due to an emergency, sleepwalking in the buff, or having someone take a nude photo.
While nearly 50 percent of people said someone walked in on them while sleeping unclothed, we delved further by asking respondents whom they had walked in on while sleeping naked. The most common situation was walking in on a friend (more than 53 percent) or a roommate (40 percent) sleeping naked. Unfortunately, over 35 percent reported walking in on their parents sleeping naked.
To Sleep Nude, or Not to Sleep Nude
Our findings show that sleeping nude or clothed is a personal preference. While people who slept naked reported they slept better than their clothed peers, it wasn’t always the case, especially when kids and comfortable pajamas were involved. While creating an ideal resting spot and sleep outfit is important, finding an ideal mattress can have a big impact, too. At Mattress Advisor, we take getting quality sleep very seriously, and we love helping our customers find their perfect bed.
