The way we experience intimacy and affection with other people can make a difference. Something as simple as cuddling in bed, pampering yourself and spooning stretched out on the mattress makes the day change color. And, in the long term, if we transform it into a habit, it is a routine that gives us several advantages that we should not waste.
Now, it may seem that being something so simple, hugs and caresses in bed change little, that they are simply entertainment as banal as playing cards could be. This is not the case, for several reasons.
The physical and psychological benefits of cuddling in bed
Below you can see several of the reasons why spooning and cuddling in bed makes our lives a little better
1. Increases oxytocin levels
Oxytocin is a hormone that our body secretes in contexts in which we experience the sensation of experiencing something intimate with someone else. For example, it exerts more influence on our brain when we look someone in the eyes for several seconds in a row… even if that someone is a dog.
This is a loop: The more oxytocin we secrete, the more consistent with an intimate relationship we behave, which in turn causes us to secrete a greater amount of this substance. The result is that we get used to relating the presence of the other person with these situations, so that in other contexts, even far from the bedroom, the relationship becomes more intimate.
2. Helps endure pain
Oxytocin, in addition to participating in our emotional relationships and helping us experience a pleasant sensation, makes us tolerate pain better. So to speak, by making us feel “like on a cloud,” our attention stops focusing so much on unpleasant stimuli
3. It gives us greater freedom to move
We can hug almost anywhere, but the bed, despite not always being close at hand, is the ideal place to do it.
The reason is that while the verticality of standing hugs limits the type of physical contact we can make, making the arms always rest more or less on the same area of the other person’s body, when lying down on the mattress it is It is possible to adopt all kinds of positions to hug, kiss or pamper each other.
4. Enriches life in marriage
There are many people who associate the bed with the act of sleeping, or having sex. This means that when you lie down on the mattress, your body automatically becomes physiologically activated in one of these two modes: either your libido increases or you feel sleepy and tired. This is a phenomenon known as simple conditioning.
Use the bed for other things regularly It makes our lives richer, since, among other things, it gives us the option to consider using that piece of furniture to its full potential. And it may seem silly, but the caresses and hugs that occur in bed are a unique experience, very different from other ways of creating intimacy and strengthening emotional ties.
5. Helps fight stress
There are many studies in which it is evident that physical contact with someone you love causes stress and anxiety levels to drop significantly. Besides, The greater the emotional bond that unites two people, the greater the therapeutic effects What hugs and cuddles have on our body. Cortisol, which is the hormone associated with stress, is secreted in smaller quantities when we hug and when these hugs include direct contact between one skin and the other.
Furthermore, we must remember that the root of many psychological and physical problems is stress. The hormones secreted during this state, and the wear and tear that their effects produce, cause greater weakness against certain bacteria and viruses, which can proliferate until they reach sufficient critical mass to produce more or less serious diseases.
6. Improves baby development
Hugs and cuddling in bed are not exclusive to relationships between lovers, of course. In fact, They play a fundamental role in motherhood It has been seen, for example, that premature babies who spend time lying on their mother’s chest develop fewer health problems and experience better cognitive development than those who spend all their time in the incubator. Furthermore, these effects are noticeable in the long term, since it is an advantage that continues to be present at least 10 years after birth.
