Sometimes you love them so much that you don’t care about the arm cramps you’re gonna feel in the morning. To add to the list of why everyone needs a cuddle buddy while sleeping, science has found some serious health benefits to snuggling with a partner. Text your honey. Tell them you have a surprise for them when they come home. It involves ordering a pizza and watching reruns of your favorite ’90s sitcom and cuddling. If they object or deny you the privilege of pizza in bed, then dump them and find someone else who will. Because that person wants you to be happy. This study says so. RELATED: I’m A Professional Cuddler For A Living A 2012 study published in The Wall Street Journal found that there are psychological benefits to sharing a bed with someone every night. If you’re very stressed from work or life, then the answer might just be finding a snuggle buddy! If you’re lonely, or you don’t have a person to share your bed at night, grab your dog, or even your childhood toy. Cuddling makes people feel safe and secure, it lowers levels of cortisol or stress and reduces cytokines, which contribute to inflammation, and raises your level of oxytocin. “Sleep is a critically important health behavior that we know is associated with heart disease and psychiatric well-being,” Wendy M. Troxel, an assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh tells The Wall Street Journal. “It happens to be this health behavior that we do in couples.” RELATED: The Exact Right Way To Cuddle, According To Science You might still not be the type to jump at the chance to sleep throughout the night with your man. After all, things like snoring, kicking, and someone talking in their sleep tend to make many couples sleep separately in order to get a good night’s rest. However, Troxel says couples that opt-out of cuddling are doing themselves a disservice. Who cares if Matt has horrible morning breath, you’re going to end up happier in the long run. Life is all about giving and taking. “The psychological benefits we get having closeness at night trump the objective costs of sleeping with a partner,” says Dr. Troxel. You heard it here folks. It doesn’t matter if your partner hogs the blankets or sweats like a monkey, you cuddle up to that monster that you love and you deal with it. Because it’s going to make you happier and healthier in the long run. RELATED: Cuddling: The Wonder Drug (That You Can Do In Public) Nicole Weaver is a love and entertainment writer. Find her on Twitter for more.
