Humans are unique in the fact that many of us get dressed up just to go to bed. We have special bed attire that we call pajamas, and it’s just one of those words that’s synonymous with comfiness. Go ahead and say it slowly and tell me it doesn’t feel good. “Pajamas... Pajamas...”

 

Putting on your PJ’s can be like a mental trigger to relax and wind down for the day. You’re getting out of your outer world uniform and putting clothes on your body that make you feel safe, relaxed, and at home. The reality is, you’re not just wearing clothes that only your inner circle of friends and family can see you in (unless you’re going to a Pajama Jammy Jam) but you’re also putting on clothes that will inherently affect the quality of your sleep.

 

As we covered in Chapter 5, thermoregulation is a critical aspect of managing sleep quality. Research shows that certain forms of insomnia are linked to faulty body temperature regulation, and an inability to cool down enough to enter deeper stages of sleep. It’s important to realize the fact that your body is better at keeping itself warm than keeping itself cool, so you’ll make it easier on yourself by wearing fewer and looser clothes to bed.

 

In a Dutch study, scientist had participants wear thermosuits to lower their skin temperature less than one degree Celsius (without affecting core body temperature) to measure its impact on sleep. The study results showed that the participants didn’t wake up as much during the night and the amount of time spent in stages three and four (deep sleep) had increased.

 

If you think that what you’re wearing to bed doesn’t matter, think again.

 

Now, I’m not saying that you have to freeze your tootsies off just to get better sleep, but I am saying that if you’re used to dressing up like an Eskimo to hop in the sack, you might want to consider pulling off a layer or two.

 

If you live in a home where you can regulate the temperature, you’re more fortunate than billions of other people on the planet. With that said, overdoing it on the warmth can result in you sleeping the “right” amount of hours but not feeling rested when you wake up. If you’ve got seven covers, an electric blanket, and you’re dressed like you’re going hunting, you just might be preventing your body from getting the most rejuvenating stages of sleep.

 

Midnight Strangler

 

The form and fit of your bedtime clothing is more significant than any fashion statement you can make. Wearing tight, restrictive clothing to bed is a huge sleep mistake you need to avoid. Clothing that is too tight can literally cut off the flow of your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is the cellular “waste management” system of your body, and an important part of your immune system. It transports and circulates extracellular fluid throughout your body, and you actually have four times more lymph fluid than you have blood.

 

When your lymphatic system gets cut off due to restrictive clothing, that extracellular fluid can start to pool in different places in your body, and real nastiness can ensue from there.

 

The most common culprit here is tight socks. You’ll know this because when you pull your socks off, you can still see the imprint of the sock perfectly on your skin. It’s a nice party trick, but this is not good at all.

 

It’s through the lymphatic system that toxic substances can move out of the body. If it’s cut off in any way, it’s like bending a water hose and blocking its ability to flow out. The water pressure will swell, and you can mess up your internal pluming or worse.

 

In Chapter 5, I recommended that you keep the bedroom cool, but also wear a pair of warm socks if you tend to get cold easily. To remedy the problem of choking your ankles out while you sleep, simply vie for a pair of loose, fuzzy socks as your go-to choice. Many types of hiking socks have a looser fit, so that might be a good place to start.

 

Beyond the lower extremities, there could be an even bigger and more dangerous issue for women. This may come as a shock, but a 2009 study found that women who slept in their bra had a 60 percent greater risk for developing breast cancer.

 

Numerous studies are now confirming the link between breast cancer and habitual bra wearing. This doesn’t mean you should throw your bras away, but it does mean that you need to be conscientious of this connection. When you take off your bra and see those indentions around your back, sides, shoulders, and breasts, that’s a clear indication that you’re cutting off lymphatic flow and circulation.

 

The lymph nodes and lymph function is a critical component in preventing the development of diseases, including breast cancer. Many women have been trained to wear their bra 24-7 for fear of what society will think, sagging breasts, and even back pain. Though these ideas can become very real to an individual, the research simply shows that these worries are not valid.

 

A 15-year study involving more than 300 women concluded that, “Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity.” Overall, it was found that women who do not use bras developed more muscle tissue to naturally support the breasts, they had greater nipple lift (in relation to their shoulders), and women who wore bras had actually accelerated breast sagging.

 

Again, this is contrary to a deeply ingrained public opinion, but it’s actually based on sound science. Bras can make breasts look amazing while they’re being worn. But if the breasts are constantly held weightless by the bra, they have very little opportunity to develop the ability to support themselves. It’s just like any other body part, if you don’t use it, it will atrophy.

 

Our main focus here is improving your sleep, and improving your health as a result of it. At night while you’re sleeping is an obvious time to go bra-free and cut your risk of major problems from wearing a bra 24-hours a day. We don’t have to start up a bra-a-holics anonymous. But, if you want to get more information on the bra-breast cancer connection, check out the book Dressed to Kill by Medical Anthropologists Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer.

 

The best clothing for bed will be non-restricting and hypoallergenic (both the fabric itself and how it’s washed). I’m not saying to wear a flannel onesie, nor am I saying to wear one of those old-school night gowns from the TV show Mama’s Family. Be comfortable, and get comfortable with your own body being more free. There are countless attractive options for bed attire if that’s important to you. I’m just going to share the basics.

 

Here are just a few options on what to wear to bed:

 

Men: Boxers, loose fitting pajama bottoms, basketball shorts, basic t-shirt if you want, or go naked

 

Women: Boy shorts, your own or your significant other’s t-shirt or boxers, flowing lingerie, yoga pants or “tights” that don’t strangle your legs and hips, loose fitting pajama bottoms, or go naked

 

Birthday Suit

 

If you and your partner both sleep in the nude, you can be reaping the benefits of the feel-good hormone oxytocin. It could be from intimacy (like sleeping in the same bed), massage, sex, or simply cuddling, the skin-to-skin contact is all that’s required. Oxytocin is a potent anti-stress hormone. It reduces signs and symptoms of depression, combats negative effects of cortisol, and helps regulate blood pressure. It’s also been shown to decrease intestinal inflammation and improve gut motility as well. All the more reason to get as close as possible.

 

On top of all this is the obvious: More sex. As we covered in Chapter 9, an orgasm might just be nature’s number one sleep aid.

 

 

 

 

 

Dress for the Occasion Power Tip #1

 

A 1991 Harvard study found that women who do not wear bras had half the risk of breast cancer compared to avid bra users. Take bedtime as an optimal opportunity to go bra-free. This is a great start to improving your health and cutting down on your programmed bra dependency. For the fellas, avoid wearing tight underwear to bed that keep your testicles pressed against your body. You’re potentially overheating your family jewels, and not allowing them to extend and retract based on a more natural temperature.

 

 

 

 

 

Dress for the Occasion Power Tip #2

 

Another nighttime good sleep fashion accessory you might want to look into is what I call Mr. & Mrs. Smith Glasses.

 

Okay, so you want to stay up a little later and watch a movie, go on wild adventures through YouTube (the other day I started off researching rehab exercises for knees and eventually ended up watching bloopers from the TV show Parks & Recreation. You know how YouTube can be…), or maybe you just want to take this sleep mastery to the ultimate level. Well, I’ve already given you recommendations for eliminating the “blue light” from your computer screen, but what about the rest of the house?

 

If you’re really passionate about this stuff, and don’t mind looking like someone from the future, then you can rock these glasses that block blue light and give everything a much safer, softer, orange tint. They’re similar to the glasses that Brad and Angelina wore in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith during an epic fight scene. If you get the cheap ones, then you won’t look that cool… but hey, this is for science not social points. Although, if someone comes into your house and sees you wearing them, you’ll totally look like a badass (a little weird, but still a badass). Just visit www.LowBlueLights.com or Google “orange safety glasses” and you’ll see a bunch to choose from.