There’s a growing body of research about the benefits of sharing your bed with a partner. From improving your mental wellbeing to boosting your overall health, here are 10 reasons why it’s great to sleep next to someone you love:
Experience Better Quality Sleep
A study found that women in stable relationships fall asleep faster and experience fewer sleep disturbances than single women or those whose relationship status changes, suggesting that sleeping beside someone can help improve sleep quality.
Fall Asleep Faster
A UK study found a link between sleep duration and overall sleep health, with good sleep lasting 10–20 minutes. Longer sleep durations affect efficiency, while overthinking can lead to difficulty falling asleep as the brain becomes more active.
More Restorative Sleep
Sharing a bed with a partner can lead to sex, which is beneficial for health. Sexually active partners are more resistant to common colds and flu, take fewer sick days, and boost T-regulatory cells, which are essential for maintaining a balanced immune system.
These include:
Oxytocin (the love hormone)
Serotonin (which contributes to wellbeing and happiness)
Norepinephrine (which helps regulate sleep and balances responses to stress)
Vasopressin (which increases sleep quality and decreases cortisol)
Prolactin (associated with improving the immune system, great sleep, and quality of life)
There’s more! For women, a good night’s sleep will increase their sexual desires.
Lower Your Blood Pressure
A massive benefit of sleeping next to someone you love is that it can help you live a longer life! It reduces the chances of life-threatening cardiovascular diseases.
Improves Your Immune System
Sharing a bed with a partner can lead to sex, which is beneficial for health. Sexually active partners are more resistant to common colds and flu, take fewer sick days, and boost T-regulatory cells, which are essential for maintaining a balanced immune system.
Reduces Anxiety
Anxiety can play havoc with your sleep, from preventing you from falling asleep in the first place to making you suffer with a restless night. Laying beside a loved one is great for your mental health. Sleeping in bed with a partner reduces cortisol and leads to a surge in oxytocin, which also helps to ease worry and fear.
Makes us happier
Physical closeness to someone can increase happiness as it releases dopamine and serotonin, which boosts mood and reduces depression. Dopamine, a crucial brain chemical messenger, causes pleasure, while serotonin, also known as the “happy chemical,” contributes to well-being and happiness. Once produced, serotonin can be converted into melatonin by the body.
Slows down aging
There’s an easy way to look and feel more youthful that doesn’t involve a stack of cosmetics. It’s free and just involves you sharing your mattress space with someone. Quality time together, cuddling, and having sex can actually take years off.
Improves Relationships
Spooning is a popular sleeping position among couples, with 41% preferring it, 31% preferring it, and 4% facing each other. The closer the couple spends the night, the stronger their relationship, as skin-to-skin contact helps build an attachment to their partner.
Reduces Inflammation
Sleeping next to someone reduces cortisol levels and cytokines involved in inflammation, leading to pain. While inflammation can help fight infections, chronic, low-level inflammation can be damaging and contribute to various health issues.
Next time you’re dreading sharing your duvet with your loved one in fear that they might hog it, remember that it’s going to make you feel great, healthier, and happier!
culled from wires
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Belinda Quansah
