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For A Happy Marriage: Sleep Naked (And Other Practical Advice)

Couples who sleep in the nude are more likely to be happy than their be-pyjama'd counterparts - but it's probably not something to get hung up on

Why do you wear pyjamas to bed? Is it because they're so ridiculously comfortable you put them on as soon as get home and don't take them off until you get up the next morning? Or is it because you don't want to sleep naked with your partner?

If it's the former, you might want to consider ditching the jammies and start spending nights in the buff to improve your relationship. (If it's the latter you may need something a bit more drastic.)

(REX)
(REX)

The results of a new survey have found that couples who sleep naked are almost 10 per cent happier than pyjama-sleepers.

More than half (57 per cent) of naked sleepers said they were happy in their relationship, compared to 48 per cent of pyjama wearers, 43 per cent of nightie wearers and 38 per cent of those who opt for a onesie.

The survey by USACotton also found that 45 per cent of Brits sleep in the nude - good news for marriages across the land.

But looking at the results, the more alarming thing is that so many of those polled are unhappy in their relationships - regardless of their sleeping habits. In total a whopping 52 per cent of coupled-up Brits are feeling down about their status.

Which suggests that what you sleep in is completely irrelevant to the quality of your partnership. Or perhaps those couples who are happy to sleep together nude are in a better place anyway.

Body language expert Judi James is a big proponant of using bedtime to bond: "Humans crave touch and cuddling and hugs is a basic requirement for emotional well-being.

"A couple will read more about each other via the touching that goes on when they sleep side by side than they will via actual verbal conversations.

"This type of touch allows us to read stress, tension, anxiety or calm and happiness in a way words will never do.

"There is no need to entwine, just have the kind of proximity that allows us to tune into breathing and body tension."

And if you can do it in the nude, all the better, particularly as advice for couples is to try and have sex at least once a week for better connection, mood and even physical health.

Don't get hung up on what you wear in bed (REX)
Don't get hung up on what you wear in bed (REX)

But if you're dedicated to your jim jams, fear not, there are plenty of other things you can do to improve your relationship:

1. Learn and practice Tantra, says relationship coach (and Tantra teacher) Judith Condon. Fairy self explanatory.

2. Don't watch chick flicks. Psychologist Sean Patrick Hatt, PhD says: "Comparing yourselves with idealised others is a recipe for misery."

3. Live your own life. It's great to spend time together and enjoy doing the same things, but independence is vital in a long-term relationship so spend time apart.

Psychologist Harriet Lerner says: “If your primary energy isn’t directed to living your own life as well as possible, you’ll be over-focused on your partner in a worried or critical way.”

4. Give compliments. Ladies this one's for you. Men rarely get complimented outside their relationship, while we can rely on friends, co-workers and our mums to drop some nice comments fairly regularly. It's a small thing but can go a long way.

5. Go to bed angry if you like. One of the most commonly trotted out pieces of marriage advice is to resolve arguments before you go to sleep. But if you're tired, grumpy and have to get up for work the next day, just park it. You'll feel a lot more forgiving in the morning when you've had a good night's sleep.*

*Though this may not work if you're a stewer and can't get to sleep for hours because you're fuming.

And however much Hollywood and Disney might try and convince us, if more than half of Brits are miserable with their love lives, perhaps it's time to start realising that it's better to be on your own than with someone who doesn't make you happy.

[Could scrapping your diary improve your sex life?]
[Most Brits reckon they're more sexually adventurous than their partner: But what do they do?]