Why You *Shouldn’t* Scrub Your Armpits, According to Dr. Vicki Belo
October 13, 2020
Back in April, we asked our Belo Baby Ivana Alawi about what she likes to wear in bed. Surprisingly enough, she let us in on a little secret: she doesn’t wear anything at all. “Honestly, I really don’t like wearing anything when I go to sleep,” she shared. “I like to sleep freely—unless I sleep with my family, or I’m with my friends and we have a sleepover…then I would usually wear [a] very loose cotton T-shirt.”
I mean, she has a point, though. It’s much more comfortable to feel your bare skin against soft sheets than to have to battle with elastic, zippers, and uncomfortable layers. And in a tropical country like ours, it’s more than convenient to sleep in the nude. But you might be surprised to find out that sleeping naked has legitimate health benefits. Let us count the ways…
1. It helps you fall asleep more quickly.
According to a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, your thermal environment has a major effect on your sleep and circadian rhythm. The lower the temperature of your room, the easier it will be to drift off (remember that summer night when your air conditioner conked out? Yep—not your finest hour). Less layers means a lower likelihood of running too hot, which means you’ll be knocked out before you know it.
2. It promotes your “down there” health.
Gynecologists have agreed that women with sensitive skin, rashes, or irritation in the vaginal area could benefit from a little, er, “airing out.” Your vagina regularly releases secretions that prevent microorganisms from entering your body. In other words, it’s good bacteria, but it can cause that gross moist feeling (you know the one). That said, it’s important to let that area breathe, because it’s also trapped in tight clothing or irritating panty liners or pads for most of the day. And since going commando at work is NOT a possibility, you can definitely do this in your sleep! As an added bonus, your SO’s going to love it for sure.
3. It helps promote closeness and intimacy.
And speaking of SOs, skin-to-skin contact with your guy can result in the release of happy hormones like oxytocin. In the same way that babies benefit from uninterrupted contact with their moms, adults in romantic relationships will experience the same feelings of safety, comfort, and closeness when snuggled up naked. It also may or may not lead to some pre-sleep lovin’, which is never a bad thing!
Sleeping naked also helps you save on laundry, LOL! Kidding aside, there’s no harm in trying it one of these nights, especially as temperatures continue to increase. It’s certainly not for everyone, but don’t knock it until you try it! Who knows—stripping down to your birthday suit just might be your new favorite nighttime ritual.
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