Birthday Suit and Tie.

Growing up my parents slept naked. Like bare-assed naked. Every. Single. Night. I think this was quite smart on their part. I never wanted to go into their room after bedtime for fear of seeing body parts that I had only seen in my copy of Where Do Babies Come From?. (You remember the 70’s cartoon book, where the couple actually looks like normal people and not like the Barbie doll characters that would be in the 2013 version.) I am not sure exactly how the nickname came about but a friend growing up would call my parents Adam & Eve. Classy. (Although, my parents are the hippie-type, so maybe that has something to do with it, too)

Fast forward 20 years later…I sleep in damn near a sweat suit. Pajama pants, tank AND a sweater. Not to mention the sheet, a down comforter and the duvet cover. I get cold! I hate being cold. So, I go to bed dressed like an eskimo ready to settle in for a long winter. My husband constantly makes fun of the close relationship I have with my pajama pants. I admit- I do love them. I don’t wear them to run errands or even when I drop the kiddo off at preschool, but the minute I am home, I just want to fall into the sweet, sweet embrace of my blue Old Navy jammie pants.

So, here we are in the comfort of a fully air-conditioned house, typically set at 73, getting into bed, me in my sweat suit and my husband  in his boxers and a just a sheet.  Sounds super sexy, doesn’t it? No? Well, join the club. I believe that Jeff is starting a “My Wife Wears Ugly Pajamas To Bed” support group. They meet on Tuesday evenings in the gym, refreshments will be served.

Last week I made a fairly radicle decree: WE BOTH MUST SLEEP NAKED FROM HENCEFORTH. Effective immediately.  That night I dug through the closet looking for a lightweight robe to lie at the end of the bed. I will be damned if my house burns down and I have to grab my kids and run outside naked! No. No. No. I will be prepared in the event that the friends on the block may have to see the glory that is their neighbors in the nude. No. No. No.

I lasted one night. I was cold. I felt exposed. I felt kind of naughty, but not in that sexy confident way that I was hoping it would make me feel. But, I am nothing if not persistent. So day two, I try again. After a couple days, I will say that it gets easier and I have found myself sleeping throughout the night without nightmares of waking up to a fireman rescuing me from my burning house. (Although, now that I think about it, that may less of a nightmare and more of some fantasy dream sequence…)

I have done some research and found that 44% of American adults sleep in the nude! Really? Damn, there are a lot of you out there.  The research seems to have pretty clear findings that sleeping au natural has quite a few benefits:

1.       You air out your private bits, giving less chance for infection.

2.       You sleep better because your body can maintain a cooler temperature.

3.       Being too warm at night disrupts the release of melatonin and growth hormone-your main anti-aging hormones-into your body. As your body temperature drops, growth hormone is released and works its regenerative magic. Who knew!?

4.       Sleeping in the buff helps you sleep more soundly, which will allow your levels of the stress hormone cortisol to decrease as you rest, keeping your energy and hunger levels in check, thus even helping reduce belly fat!

5.       Sleeping in your birthday suit is great for your relationship because lying skin to skin will increase feel-good chemicals like the cuddle hormone oxytocin, encouraging sexier relationships between the sheets.
 

Wow! Alright, I guess I am in. Who can say no to those findings? I am going to be one healthy, infection-free, hormonally balanced, confident sex machine. Watch out sweet hubby- be careful what you wish for!

Just curious, how many of you are now going to sleep naked tonight? Sweet dreams! (winky face)

 xoxo

My Nighmare.