There are plenty of complicated wellness routines promising better sleep.
But what if one of the easiest changes involves wearing less, rather than doing more?
Sleeping naked — or simply going to bed without underwear — is something many people do purely because it feels comfortable. But there are also some interesting potential health and sleep benefits behind the habit.
Your body naturally regulates its temperature throughout the night, and being too warm can interfere with comfortable, uninterrupted sleep. Research into sleep and temperature consistently shows that our thermal environment can influence sleep quality.
And when it comes to intimate health, tight, sweaty clothing isn’t always your body’s best friend either.
So, is sleeping naked actually good for you?
Here’s what we know.
1. Sleeping Naked May Help Keep You Cooler
One of the most convincing reasons to sleep naked is surprisingly simple: temperature.
Your body’s core temperature naturally changes as part of your sleep-wake cycle. If you’re wrapped in thick pyjamas, underwear, blankets and a heavy duvet — especially during summer — you may become uncomfortably warm.
Sleeping naked removes one layer between your skin and the surrounding environment, which may make temperature regulation easier.
This doesn’t mean that being freezing cold improves sleep.
In fact, being too cold can disturb sleep as well.
The aim is comfort: cool enough that you’re not overheating, but warm enough that your body isn’t fighting the cold.
If you’re someone who constantly sticks one leg outside the duvet in the middle of the night, your body may already be telling you something.
For more on temperature and tiredness, read Summer Fatigue: Why You Feel More Tired in Hot Weather (And What To Do About It).
2. You May Sleep More Comfortably
There’s no strong evidence showing that simply removing your pyjamas automatically gives everyone eight hours of perfect sleep.
However, overheating is associated with poorer sleep.
If sleeping naked helps you stay at a more comfortable temperature, it could indirectly help you avoid waking because you’re hot and sweaty.
Think of it less as a miracle sleep hack and more as removing something that may be making you uncomfortable.
This may be particularly noticeable if you:
- naturally sleep hot
- experience night sweats
- live somewhere warm
- use a thick duvet
- share a bed with someone
- have a mattress that retains heat
If you’re waking repeatedly during the night, temperature is only one possible explanation. You might also want to read Why Do Women Wake Up at 3 AM? Common Causes and What Helps.
3. Sleeping Without Underwear May Be More Comfortable for Women
Should women sleep without underwear?
There isn’t a universal rule saying women need to remove their underwear at bedtime.
However, allowing the vulval area to stay cool, dry and free from friction may be more comfortable, particularly for women who experience irritation.
NHS guidance commonly recommends loose cotton underwear and avoiding tight-fitting clothing when dealing with vulval irritation.
So if you don’t want to sleep completely naked, another simple option is:
Loose cotton pyjama bottoms or a nightdress — with no underwear underneath.
The important distinction is that sleeping without underwear shouldn’t be presented as a treatment for thrush, bacterial vaginosis or other infections.
If you have persistent itching, unusual discharge, pain, odour or irritation, speak to a healthcare professional rather than relying on changing your underwear.
4. Less Fabric Can Mean Less Sweat and Friction
Think about what happens during a warm night.
You have underwear.
Then pyjamas.
Then sheets.
Then a duvet.
That’s a lot of fabric surrounding areas of the body that naturally become warm and sweaty.
For some people, removing tight underwear at bedtime simply feels fresher and more comfortable.
It can also reduce the rubbing and pressure created by waistbands, seams and tight elastic.
If you’ve ever come home after a long day and immediately wanted to change into something loose, you’ll understand the feeling.
Your bedtime routine can be an opportunity to give your body a break from restrictive clothing.
5. Men May Also Have a Reason to Avoid Tight Underwear
The underwear question becomes particularly interesting for men.
Testicular temperature matters for sperm production.
A study involving men attending a fertility centre found that men who reported most frequently wearing boxers had higher sperm concentrations and total sperm counts than men who usually wore tighter styles of underwear.
That doesn’t prove that sleeping naked will increase fertility.
Fertility is much more complicated than that.
But it does support the broader idea that avoiding excessive heat and very restrictive underwear may be sensible for men concerned about reproductive health.
If sleeping completely naked isn’t comfortable, loose boxer shorts are an obvious alternative.
6. Sleeping Naked With Your Partner May Feel More Intimate
Not every benefit of sleeping naked needs to involve laboratory results.
For couples, sleeping skin-to-skin can simply feel more intimate.
Physical closeness can encourage affection, cuddling and connection — things that sometimes disappear when busy couples collapse into bed exhausted at the end of the day.
That doesn’t mean sleeping naked is a secret relationship therapy.
But removing physical barriers can make spontaneous affection easier.
And sometimes the smallest changes in a routine are the ones that make you feel closer.
7. It Can Feel Surprisingly Freeing
There is another benefit that’s difficult to measure scientifically: comfort in your own body.
We’re dressed almost every moment of the day.
Work clothes.
Jeans.
Bras.
Underwear.
Gym clothes.
Shapewear.
Pyjamas.
Sleeping naked gives you several hours where your body doesn’t need to be squeezed, styled, hidden or presented to anyone.
For some people, that feels surprisingly liberating.
You don’t need to have a “perfect body” to enjoy being comfortable in your own skin.
Your bedroom is one of the few places where comfort can come before appearance.
That little shift can become part of a broader self-care routine.
If you struggle to make any time for yourself, read Why Taking Just 10 Minutes for Yourself Every Day Can Improve Your Wellbeing.
8. It Costs Absolutely Nothing
This may be my favourite benefit.
Wellness has become an enormous industry.
There are expensive mattresses, sleep trackers, supplements, silk pyjamas, cooling pillows, weighted blankets and endless gadgets promising the perfect night’s sleep.
Sleeping without underwear costs exactly £0.
You don’t need an app.
You don’t need a subscription.
You don’t need to order anything.
You can simply try it tonight and decide whether you feel more comfortable.
But Does Sleeping Naked Actually Make You Healthier?
This is where we need to separate interesting possibilities from internet exaggeration.
You’ll find dramatic claims online suggesting that sleeping naked:
- makes you lose weight
- dramatically boosts metabolism
- cures infections
- transforms fertility
- balances hormones
- completely eliminates insomnia
Those claims go beyond the available evidence.
There is not strong research proving that nudity itself produces all of these health benefits.
The more reasonable argument is this:
Sleeping naked may help some people stay cooler and more comfortable, while avoiding tight underwear can reduce unnecessary heat, moisture and friction.
That’s less sensational — but far more believable.
Sleeping Naked vs Wearing Pyjamas: Which Is Better?
There isn’t one answer for everyone.
Sleeping naked may suit you if:
- You frequently feel hot in bed.
- You dislike restrictive clothing.
- You sweat during the night.
- Your underwear feels tight or irritating.
- You enjoy skin-to-skin contact with your partner.
- You simply sleep better without clothes.
Pyjamas may be better if:
- You become cold easily.
- Your bedroom is cold.
- You share accommodation and need to get up during the night.
- You prefer having fabric between your body and bedding.
- Wearing clothes makes you feel more comfortable or secure.
And there is an easy middle ground:
Wear loose, breathable pyjamas without underwear.
You get more airflow without having to sleep completely naked.
What Should You Wear If You Don’t Want to Sleep Naked?
Comfort should be the priority.
Look for loose-fitting, breathable fabrics rather than tight synthetic clothing.
Cotton is the classic choice because it’s comfortable, widely available and breathable.
Linen can also be excellent during hot weather.
If you prefer dedicated sleepwear, brands such as Marks & Spencer, H&M, Uniqlo, SKIMS and Calvin Klein all sell loose sleepwear, nightshirts, boxers or breathable cotton basics.
The logo on your pyjamas isn’t what matters, though.
Fit and fabric matter far more than the brand.
Avoid anything that digs into your skin, makes you sweat excessively or leaves deep elastic marks by morning.
A Famous Naked-Sleeping Story: Marilyn Monroe
One reason sleeping naked has remained part of popular culture is Marilyn Monroe.
She famously became associated with sleeping wearing little more than perfume, helping turn the idea of going to bed without conventional nightwear into something glamorous.
Decades later, the subject still generates curiosity.
But you certainly don’t need to turn bedtime into old-Hollywood glamour.
The practical version is much simpler:
Take off the uncomfortable clothes, keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature and see how you sleep.
Should You Wear Underwear to Bed?
For most healthy adults, this largely comes down to personal preference.
You don’t need to stop wearing underwear just because the internet tells you to.
But equally, you don’t have to wear underwear 24 hours a day.
If you prefer wearing it at night, choose something loose and breathable.
If you’re comfortable without it, sleeping without underwear can be an easy way to reduce layers, heat and restriction.
How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets If You Sleep Naked?
This part matters.
When there’s no pyjama layer between your body and the bed, sweat, natural body oils and skin cells go directly onto your bedding.
That makes good bedding hygiene especially important.
Wash your sheets regularly and more frequently if you sweat heavily, have been ill, share your bed with pets or simply notice that your bedding no longer feels fresh.
Showering before bed can also help keep sheets fresher.
Is It Better to Sleep Naked During Summer?
For hot sleepers, summer is probably when the difference is most noticeable.
Instead of blasting a fan while wearing thick pyjamas, try reducing unnecessary layers first.
Consider:
- lighter bedding
- breathable cotton or linen sheets
- opening windows when safe
- using a fan
- drinking enough water during the day
- removing tight sleepwear
- sleeping without underwear
The objective isn’t to become cold.
It’s to prevent overheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sleeping naked good for you?
It can be. Sleeping naked may help some people stay cooler and feel more comfortable, but there isn’t strong evidence that sleeping naked by itself dramatically improves overall health.
Is it healthy for a woman to sleep without underwear?
For most women, sleeping without underwear is generally a matter of comfort and preference. Loose clothing and breathable fabrics can help reduce irritation and friction around sensitive vulval skin.
Does sleeping without underwear prevent yeast infections?
It shouldn’t be treated as a method of preventing or curing yeast infections. Keeping the area comfortable and avoiding tight, irritating clothing can be helpful, but recurrent thrush or other symptoms should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Is sleeping naked better for men?
It may help men who tend to overheat, and avoiding very tight underwear reduces unnecessary heat around the testicles. Research has found associations between looser underwear and some measures of sperm quality, although sleeping naked itself hasn’t been proven to increase fertility.
Does sleeping naked help you lose weight?
There’s no convincing evidence that simply taking your clothes off before bed causes meaningful weight loss.
Better-quality sleep is important for overall health and weight management, but sleeping naked shouldn’t be considered a weight-loss technique.
Should couples sleep naked?
Only if both people enjoy it. Some couples find skin-to-skin sleeping more intimate and comfortable, while others sleep better wearing pyjamas.
Is it better to sleep naked or in underwear?
Neither is automatically healthier for everyone. If underwear is loose, breathable and comfortable, there’s usually no need to remove it. If you find it restrictive or hot, try sleeping without it and see whether you’re more comfortable.
The Bottom Line
So, should you sleep naked?
If you like it, there are several reasonable reasons to continue.
Sleeping naked or sleeping without underwear may help you stay cooler, reduce restrictive clothing around sensitive areas and simply make bedtime feel more comfortable.
But you don’t need to force yourself to sleep naked in the name of wellness.
Good sleep depends on far more important things: a comfortable temperature, a consistent routine, a dark and quiet bedroom, stress management and enough time to actually sleep.
Think of sleeping naked as a small experiment rather than a miracle health hack.
Tonight, try ditching the underwear or pyjamas.
You might discover that the most comfortable thing you can wear to bed is nothing at all.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general information and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak to a healthcare professional if you have persistent sleep problems, genital irritation, recurrent infections or fertility concerns.
