Sleep is essential to health just as much as food, water, and air. If you’re sleeping next to someone, it might even boost your wellbeing, experts say. Despite the snores, the blanket hogging, the unintended kicking, and a series of nocturnal disturbances, dozens of researchers have suggested that sharing a bed with another person has long-term benefits. Here are some health benefits to sleeping next to someone you love, as scientists explain:

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” – Thomas Dekker

HERE ARE 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SLEEPING NEXT TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE

1. IT HELPS YOU FALL ASLEEP FASTER.

Does this situation sound familiar? You’re all alone in bed and your mind starts to wander. Your brain becomes active again and you begin to overthink. Tuning out makes it harder for you to get some sleep and the agitation grows. When you’re sharing the bed with someone you love, however, you have the tendency to relax because sleeping with a loved one gives you a sense of security. When your body is relaxed, then you fall asleep in minutes.

2. IT LESSENS YOUR STRESS LEVELS.

Expert Andrea Petersen wrote in the Wall Street Journal that cortisol levels drop when you’re sharing a bed with someone you love. It also releases oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, that eases a person’s anxiety. When your stress levels are low, you lessen your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and other serious chronic illnesses as well.

3. IT REDUCES BODY INFLAMMATION.

Petersen also said that while stress levels go down when you’re sleeping with a loved one, the level of cytokines in your body also reduces. Cytokines cause body inflammation and pain. Hence, another warm body in bed relieves of you these physical problems. Who needs a pain reliever when you have cuddle therapy?

4. IT LOWERS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE.

Researchers from the University of North California conducted a sleep and intimacy experiment with 59 women who kept a diary of hugs and cuddles they received from their partners. After analyzing their oxytocin levels and checking their blood pressure, the researchers learned that those with the highest levels of oxytocin had the lowest blood pressure as well. This hormone seems to work like natural angina medication because it helps minimize the constriction in the blood vessels. Dr. David Hamilton, the author of “Why Kindness Is Good for You,” told Daily Mail about the implications of the experiment.

5. IT PROMOTES IDEAL SLEEPING CONDITIONS.

Your body temperature begins to drop as you sleep. When your body feels colder, the warmth of the person sleeping next to you can help keep you snug as a bug. According to Natalie Dautovich of the National Sleep Foundation, sharing a blanket with someone in bed can get especially warmer. It’s nice to have the most ideal sleeping conditions with just the right mix of warm and cold, right?

6. QUALITY SLEEP ENERGIZES YOU.

When you have the perfect sleeping conditions with someone next to you, then you get the best quality of sleep. So, you don’t wake up in a cranky mood or have a headache. Instead, you look forward to your day with more positive energy. Your mind is also clear and refreshed to embrace positive thinking and positive thoughts.

7. IT IMPROVES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.

If you’re sharing your bed with your better half, it can sometimes lead to lovemaking, which could then boost your immune system. According to experts from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, couples who regularly have intimacy in bed have higher chances of fighting the flu or common colds because they release more antibodies that make their body healthier.

8. IT SLOWS DOWN YOUR AGING.

Scottish neuropsychologist David Weeks wrote in the book “Secrets of the Superyoung” that sharing a bed with someone you love and having regular quality cuddle time and lovemaking can make you look 10 years younger, too.  Besides, when you’ve got lower stress levels, your body naturally feels a lot younger.

9. YOU BECOME IN SYNC WITH YOUR PARTNER.

Couples who go to bed at the same time (and likely wake up at the same time) have well-tuned body clocks. They become each other’s social timekeepers. According to a study published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, this synchronicity can show how much couples are satisfied in their relationship.

10. THE PHYSICAL CLOSENESS WHILE SLEEPING IMPROVES YOUR RELATIONSHIP.

Another study from the University of Hertfordshire looked into the effects of physical contact during sleep among 1,000 couples. They learned that those who kept a sleeping distance of 2.5 cm from each other, which means they’ve been cuddling or lying in bed close and tight, generally have a good relationship. At least 86.5 percent of couples in the study apparently slept in this position.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The benefits of sleeping next to someone you love far outweigh the drawbacks, especially when it comes to your health and wellness. Besides, if you’re in a great relationship, there’s always someone to look forward to when you wake up in the morning, right?