Sleeping with someone you love is not only a great way to connect but also helps improve your health. It lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation, and helps you manage stress better.
A study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that couples who slept together were more satisfied with their relationship than those who slept separately. They also reported higher levels of oxytocin, which is the hormone that makes us feel good and can help fight depression.
1. It’s a form of intimacy
Sleeping with someone is a form of intimacy, and it can have many beneficial effects on your health and relationship. It can reduce stress, improve your mental health, and help you build stronger relationships.
Physical intimacy is a great way to create feelings of closeness, and it’s a popular form of intimacy for romantic partners. But it’s also important to develop non-sexual intimacy, such as cuddling and kissing.
Spiritual intimacy is another type of intimacy that can be cultivated in long-term relationships. It involves sharing your beliefs and values, as well as participating in religious practices and activities together.
2. It’s a form of communication
One of the more fun and impressive aspects of sleep is that you can actually communicate with your partner while you’re sleeping. This is thanks to the release of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, which stimulates feelings of empathy, trust, relaxation and lowered anxiety levels.
This is a significant factor because it makes you feel more secure and less likely to worry about the future. In turn, this leads to a better quality of sleep, which is key to your overall wellbeing. It also stimulates a cocktail of chemicals that improve brain health and boost your immune system.
3. It’s a form of bonding
Sleep is a key component of the human brain’s recovery process and is vital to memory function, reorganization of neural pathways and emotional stability. It also helps to improve the body’s glymphatic (waste clearing) system, which removes toxic byproducts that build up throughout the day and can cause serious health problems.
One of the best things about sleeping with someone is the feeling of security and comfort you get from being near them. This makes it easier to fall asleep, and it also stimulates the release of a cocktail of chemicals including the love hormone, oxytocin, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which are all good for your overall health, says Tim Gray, health optimising biohacker, psychology specialist and global speaker.
4. It’s a form of bonding with your partner
When you sleep next to your partner, it can strengthen your bond. In fact, research shows that couples who sleep together report better life and relationship satisfaction than those who are apart during the night.
The physical contact of sleeping with someone also releases oxytocin, the love hormone, which increases feelings of empathy, trust and relaxation. It also reduces anxiety.
Having a partner nearby helps you fall asleep faster, and researchers have found that sleeping with your partner can improve rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage during which dreams occur.
It can also help you avoid feeling anxious and overwhelmed, which can contribute to not getting enough rest and can impact your mood. In addition, it can boost your immune system and lower your blood pressure.
5. It’s a form of bonding with your partner’s partner
Sleeping with your partner isn’t just about getting some extra sex, it also can be a form of bonding. When you get in bed together, your body releases oxytocin, a hormone that makes you feel emotionally connected to your partner.
Those feelings of safety and security can help you feel better in general, which may lead to improved rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a study suggests.
As a couple, it’s important to work on building stronger communication between the two of you. You can do this by making it a point to be attentive to each other’s emotional needs, says licensed psychotherapist and founder of Let’s Talk Divorce, Shirin Peykar, LMFT.
