The weather has just recently decided to follow its seasonal pattern, meaning we are now entering the heat of summer! With new humid summer nights, people assume sleeping in the buff is the best way to stay cool while sleeping, but experts warn us – it’s not the case.
The experts all tend to agree that a light fabric pajama is the way to go. Neurologist and sleep physician, Dr. Guy Leschznier spoke to Radio 4’s Today that:
People may be better off sleeping in clothing rather than sleeping naked. If you’re wearing a natural fabric like cotton it acts as a wick for your sweat and it can increase the surface area for the sweat to evaporate, thus making you feel much cooler.
Another expert, lead sleep physiologist at Bupa’s Cromwell Hospital, Julius Patrick, explained to Cosmopolitan:
When you sleep naked, sweat actually collects on the body and then remains there.
However hot it is when you drift off, remember your body temperature will drop during the night.
If you’re wearing light clothes to sleep in, it soaks up any sweat you have, which can cool you down.
When explained, it does make a lot of sense – we need some fabric on our skin to help absorb and then cool the sweat.
Dr. Neil Stanley also approves the method, but adds to the talk the importance of fabric, such as cotton, for your pajama material. Dr. Stanley talked to The Daily Mail, saying that:
The pajama fabric draws sweat away from your body and will make you feel a lot cooler and more comfortable.
At the end of the day, Professor Jim Horne of the Sleep Research Center at Loughborough University, tells the Mail:
Try to leave your worries outside the bedroom and certainly don’t start fretting about whether you can get to sleep.
All in all, relax, on the fan, take a chilly shower, and try to casually drift off to sleep!
