Cuddling Is Good For You Because Science (…But Really)
Note: The post was written by Laura Argintar and was originally posted on Elite Daily.
It turns out there really is some science as to why your sorry, single self is going to bed at night alone and waking up miserable.
We’re probably not the first people to tell you this — and don’t get all offended when we do — but you need to find a partner. According to collective research by Andrea Petersen in The Wall Street Journal, sleeping with a partner in the same bed provides an array of health benefits. And it doesn’t stop there.
Some scientists hypothesize that sleeping with a partner may be a prominent reason people in intimate relationships tend to be in better health and live longer than sad and lonely singletons.
Sharing really is caring after all, at least when it comes to your sheets. The new study challenges previous findings that women don’t sleep as well with someone else in their bed and that both sexes move around more when sleeping together.
While this may be true, according to Wendy M. Troxel, an assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, “the psychological benefits we get having closeness at night trump the objective costs of sleeping with a partner.”
So maybe don’t be so quick to f*ck ‘em and chuck ‘em next time, ya feel?
Here’s another reason to love your partner more: Sleeping together promotes feelings of safety and security, which may lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
“Sharing a bed may also reduce cytokines, involved in inflammation, and boost oxytocin, the so-called love hormone that is known to ease anxiety and is produced in the same part of the brain responsible for the sleep-wake cycle,” suggests the WSJ.
Perhaps if you’re feeling anxious before a big exam or presentation, you should give your cuddle-buddy a call — like a booty call 2.0.
And if you’re still single, there’s another reason to feel worse about yourself (no, it’s not about skipping a gym day).
Research also shows that women in stable relationships actually fall asleep faster and wake less frequently than single women or those whose relationship status changed during the study.
So if you’re going to cuddle your man, make sure you hang on tight and don’t let him go! Or else you’ll be single, cranky AND tired.
The science doesn’t stop there though. If you want to really boost your relationship happiness, you and your partner should sleep naked.
It’s fairly intuitive; sleeping naked together builds a sense of closeness and intimacy, which in turn, strengthens your relationship.
A poll of 1,000 Brits revealed that 57 percent of couples who sleep in the nude reported being “extremely happy” in their relationships, while less than half of the PJ-clad reported the same.
The lesson? Even if you ate an entire feast of Chinese food that night, don’t be afraid to take it off. Take it all off.
Basically, science is telling us something we already knew: One really is the loneliest number.
About the Author: Laura Argintar is the Senior Women’s Writer at Elite Daily. Listed among her achievements are performing stand-up, graduating from the U of M and writing for her favorite publications. LARG enjoys covering women’s topics, watching celebrities self-destruct and rising to any occasion. You can find more from her here, or find her on Twitter @LARGTwITS.
About Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB): CMB is a free dating service that helps members make meaningful connections. It’s designed for busy singles who want to find something real with little or no effort.
