Medical App & Medical Advice with Hello Doctor

Why you should sleep naked, and not hit the snooze button

By Dr. Albert Viljoen

It’s Spring! As the days get longer, the nights warmer and the skirts shorter, why not try on these two, very seasonal healthy habits?

#1 Sleep Naked

Yes, that is actually a health-tip. There are numerous benefits to getting rid of your jammies in the warmer months, beyond simply saving on your clothing-expenses.

  • You’ll sleep better. When you fall asleep, your body temperature falls. This is a natural process, and helps all your systems recover. If you’re too hot at night, it interferes with this process, and can be the reason why you’re tossing and turning at night.
  • You could speed up your metabolism. Yep – another major benefit of cooling down at night, is that you could give your metabolism a boost. (And who wouldn’t like some extra help to get their summer-body back?)
  • Give your skin breathing space. Your armpits, feet and groin are constricted throughout the day. By freeing them up at night, you decrease the risk for fungal infections, and support your body with its temperature regulation.
  • Guys, you’ll make your sperm healthy & happy. The factory-settings in your testicles have a very strict temperature-control: to keep your sperm as healthy as possible, your testicles retract and descend according to the temperature. By dropping your boxers, you make their job easier, and, statistically, increase your baby-making potential.

#2 Don’t Snooze

If you’re anything like me, you are probably in love with your snooze-button. The problem is that this love-affair can cost you more than the 10 minutes you miss in the morning meeting. How?

Those 20 to 30 minutes of interrupted sleep in the morning, actually counts as sleep disruption. This means that your body does not get the quality rest it needs. Even though it feels good, you are actually losing quality of sleep, according to studies conducted by Dr. David Dinges, head of the sleep and chronobiology division at the University of Pennsylvania. You may think ” I feel fine”, but most of us are so sleep-deprived, we don’t even know what a proper night of rest feels like anymore.

And some of the consequences of sleep-deprivation (in case you forgot)? Higher risk for

  • gaining weight
  • diabetes
  • heart disease

So, for a happy, healthy summer, get naked, go to bed early, and set your alarm half an hour later. That doesn’t sound to hard now, does it?

Are you a sleepwalker?

“You were sleepwalking again last night,”…. that’s the conversation at the breakfast table this morning. “Really, that’s strange,” you say as you sip your coffee, “because I don’t remember anything!”

Continue reading “Are you a sleepwalker?”

Are you a sleep-eater?

“How did all these chocolate-wrappers end up in my BED?!” Last night, you drifted off to sleep as usual, but this morning your stomach feels bloated and there are crumbs on the carpet. The worst part: you can’t remember anything.

Welcome to the strange world of sleep-eating. Continue reading “Are you a sleep-eater?”

The health benefits of sleep

Believe it or not, sleep is important for more things than just to feel rested! Just like eating, sleep is not a luxury. It’s the body’s time to repair itself and do the maintenance work – miss that and your body misses out. Having a late night here and there is OK, but if you experience sleep problems, or sleep less than the recommended 7 to 9 hours each night, it can affect your health. Continue reading “The health benefits of sleep”

How much sleep is enough?

You already know that getting too little sleep is bad for your health, but too much sleep is not good for you either! It sounds crazy, but it’s true – sleeping too much OR too little puts your health at risk – insanity, weight gain and illness are just a few of the side effects. So, in the words of Goldilocks – How much is ‘Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right’? Continue reading “How much sleep is enough?”

What keeps you awake at night?

Did you not sleep well at all last night? There may be may emotional reasons you can’t sleep, like anxiety, or a busy mind, but with summer right around the corner, environmental factors such as heat and pesky insects are two of the main causes of disrupted sleep. Don’t worry! We’re here to help with practical solutions to these problems. Continue reading “What keeps you awake at night?”

Are night terrors the same as nightmares?

It’s the middle of the night. Your child is screaming and shouting out in intense fear. It’s a terrifying experience for you to watch and it feels as if there’s nothing you can do to console him. He’s probably having a night terror… fortunately, these are rarely harmful and most children outgrow them by adolescence. Fewer than 2% of adults experience them. Continue reading “Are night terrors the same as nightmares?”

I just can’t sleep!

Have you ever had a bad night when you just can’t sleep? It’s too hot, you have things on your mind, or the neighbour’s dog won’t stop barking: you toss and turn until the sun comes up, and it’s miserable! For people with insomnia, this is every night. Continue reading “I just can’t sleep!”