Sleeping naked improves the quality of your sleep, according to science
How you sleep, and what you wear, can affect the quality of your sleep. Here's how
How do you sleep? Whether you're a pyjamas person or an underwear advocate, everyone has their own personal preference. However, a new study suggests there's a definitive way to dress for bed that promotes a better quality of sleep.
Sleep experts The Dozy Owl conducted a study of the rapid eye movement of 2,680 volunteers worldwide. The participants were asked to record their Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep cycles, the continuous dropping into deep sleep, via a sleep tracker. This should average out between 20-25% of total sleep time.
It turned out those that slept naked resulted in the deepest sleep, with a better-than-average of 26.5% REM sleep. When it comes to a deeper, more satisfying bedrest, you can't beat sleeping in the buff. In second place were those who wore t-shirts and shorts, who got an average of 26% REM sleep.
Whatever you do, avoid the classic t-shirt and trousers pyjama combination. This can really decrease the time you spend in REM sleep: participants who wore them logged an average REM sleep of just 17.5%.
This is the benefit of picking up one of the best fitness trackers or the best fitness watch: the sleep tracking function can tell you if you've had a good night's sleep or a bad one. Over time, you can iron out which habits, combination of pyjamas and variables result in you getting the best quality of sleep.
Waking up immediately can result in sleep inertia, or "brain fog". One way to go about avoiding this is by using one of the best SAD lamps. Rather than wake you up immediately with a harsh ringing sound, the SAD lamps gradually illuminate your room with warm light that simulates sunlight, boosting your mood in the mornings with a wakeup that mimics a natural bright sunrise.
Bad sleep quality can also keep you awake during the night, which leads to a later start once you finally get settled. You can try popping some lavender scents in the best diffuser for essential oils, or opt for one of our best mattress toppers.
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Matt Evans is an experienced health and fitness journalist and is currently Fitness and Wellbeing Editor at TechRadar, covering all things exercise and nutrition on Fit&Well's tech-focused sister site. Matt originally discovered exercise through martial arts: he holds a black belt in Karate and remains a keen runner, gym-goer, and infrequent yogi. His top fitness tip? Stretch.
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