If you are thinking about ditching your sleepwear and getting in bed naked, it may feel awkward at first but you’ll quickly get used to it. In fact, it might feel pretty good after some time. But it also has a few downsides you should be aware of before you make the change. 

In this post, we discuss the pros and cons of sleeping naked, plus how to do it safely. 

Why You Should Try Sleeping Naked

You Will Sleep Cooler 

If you are a hot sleeper, going to bed naked is an easy and free hack for sleeping cooler. You have less material covering your body, so heat dissipates faster. 

This can be helpful during hot summer nights, for people who naturally get hot in bed and for women experiencing hot flashes. 

If you want to enhance the cooling effect even more, sleep on breathable sheets like our Hercleon Jax sheets. Natural bed sheets made from cotton, bamboo, silk or linen are the best at keeping you cool. 

It Can Help With Night Sweats

Sleeping naked is also great for combating night sweats. For one, you sleep cooler which will help if your night sweats are caused by overheating. 

Sleeping naked also makes it easier for your bedding to quickly absorb or wick away sweat from your skin, which keeps you dry. 

It’s important that you have sweat-wicking bed sheets. Otherwise, sleeping naked can actually make things worse. Synthetic sheets like polyester and microfiber can leave your skin clammy with sweat. Natural bedding made from cotton, linen, silk and other natural fibers is better for night sweats.    

Some People Find it More Comfortable

For some people, sleeping naked feels like freedom. Others love the sensory experience of their skin being directly in contact with bed sheets, particularly if you have good quality sheets that feel like butter against the skin (tip: our Hercleon Jax sheets feel exactly this way). 

Many people find that they generally sleep better when naked. So give it a try and see if you like it.   

Downsides of Sleeping Naked

If you are worried that there will be an emergency in the middle of the night that forces you to run from the bedroom naked, that’s unlikely to happen. To be safe, you can keep a bathrobe within easy reach.  

The main issue that you are more likely to contend with when you switch to the nude sleep lifestyle is skin health. 

You may not see it, but your bedding gets dirty quickly. After just one night, there’s already some build up of dead skin cells, bacteria, body oils and dust mites on the sheets. That’s why we recommend changing your sheets at least once a week (more if you have night sweats or sensitive skin) in our bed sheet care guide. 

Your sheets get even dirtier and more quickly when you sleep naked. That’s because there’s no barrier between you and the bedding, so you leave a lot more dead skin cells, sweat, bacteria and body oils on the linen. 

Don't forget that sometimes we also leave fecal matter on bedding (e.g. when passing gas), even if you cannot see or smell it. It attracts even more bacteria onto your bed.

All this icky stuff accumulating on your bedding increases the risk of skin problems such as eczema, infections and acne breakouts, particularly if you have sensitive skin. 

How to Protect Your Skin When Sleeping Naked

Here are some tips to make sure your new sleeping style doesn’t turn into a major health problem for your skin. 

• Upgrade your bed sheets. Get high quality bed sheets that are breathable, moisture-wicking and soft. They will massively improve your sleeping experience. As you do that, consider also getting a new and better duvet cover, particularly if you don't use a top sheet. Go for natural materials or semi-synthetic ones like bamboo, Tencel and modal. 
• You’ll need to wash your bedding more frequently. We recommend changing your sheets, pillowcase and duvet cover at least twice a week. This keeps your bed hygienic and protects your skin.
• Be more strict with your own hygiene. Exfoliate your skin regularly and take a shower or bath before getting in bed.