Hey everyone!

I’m taking a break from chatting about my business to present something I really would like to share that I found out with you – it’s a good idea to forgo underwear at night! I looked it up and after being suspicious about how often we wear underwear and whether or not there are some health risks to that and what I found surprised me.

Did you know that there are benefits to not wearing underwear? Did you also know that the best time to forgo underwear is actually at night?

Due to the differences in male and female genitalia, men and women experience different benefits from going commando but don’t worry. This post is not just for women. I have put reasons for both in one article for convenience sake.

During The Day

Science encourages us to wear underwear during the day. This is because you should always wear underwear when you’re out in public, when you have left the house, especially if you live in an area where you interact with the public, coworkers or you go to school. Rashes, lice, infections and bodily discharge on your clothes are risks for not wearing underwear in public so don’t go out minus undies, it’s a very unhealthy practice (Blossoms 2020). Also, you will chafe more if you go without them during the day, additionally, if you don’t wear underwear during activities such as the gym you can increase the risk of micro-cuts which are little cuts or microabrasions in your skin, and those cuts can lead to bacterial infections, which can cause discomfort, itching, redness and pain,” OB-GYN Scott Osmun told HuffPost (The List 2020)

During The Night

Culture keeps us wearing underwear at night when there is good reason to take them off. While ditching your underwear right before bedtime isn’t a hard and fast rule, the practice could help to give your doo dads a cool break. Simply put, YOU NEED FRESH AIR THERE SOMETIMES. So if you’ve been wearing cute lace undies all day, it may be a good idea to stop wearing underwear at night for a happy vagina (The List 2020).

Just to be helpful, in the event someone ever challenges you on why you don’t wear underwear at night I have provided a list of reasons for both men and women to ditch underwear for a bit when you can. Let’s start with the WOMEN and then we’ll get to the MEN afterwards.

3 Reasons For Women

1 Prevention Of Yeast Infections
Turns out, you may reduce your chances of developing a urinary tract or yeast infection, especially for those of you who suffer regular bouts of vaginal infections. Why? According to Dr. Nini Mai, DACM, who spoke with Well+Good, panties “can trap excess moisture and microbes.” And that can create a moist environment where Candida, a fungus that causes yeast infections (via CDC), thrives most in, according to Healthline. This can happen while you’re sleeping or at the gym, especially if you’re wearing non-breathable panties (The List 2020).

2 Reduction In Smell
Moisture from sweat and heat are trapped by underwear, this can cause a smell. Skipping underwear for the night can allow your sweat to evaporate, keep the odours to a minimum and give your nethers a break from chafing made worse by moisture (Healthline 2020).

3 Less Discharge
Discharge is a combination of bacteria, vaginal skin cells, mucus and fluid from the cervix and vagina. You actually may experience less of it if you stop wearing underwear altogether, especially if you normally wear non-cotton panties (I DO NOT RECOMMEND OR CONDONE FORGOING UNDERWEAR ALTOGETHER). Why? Well, this is because underwear may prevent “proper ventilation” in your lady parts, leading to more discharge. Since going commando allows your lady parts to breathe, there may not be as much wetness down there and you may avoid this problem altogether (The List 2020).

Ok that’s the ladies done time for the MEN!

3 Reasons For Men

Men experience some of the same benefits as women but there are a couple of additional benefits for men when going commando, mostly related to the unique physiology of the penis, scrotum and testicles (Healthline 2020).

1 Prevention of Jock Itch and other fungal infections
Warm, wet genitals are a breeding ground for fungi like Tinea Cruris, or Jock Itch. This can cause redness, irritation and itching. Keeping your bits ventilated ensures that the area stays cool and dry, especially after prolonged periods of athletic activity (Healthline 2020).

2 Protection from injury
It’s possible to experience some chafing of the penis or scrotum against your clothing, regardless of whether you wear underwear or not. This can cause irritation and even injury, which may lead to infections if they happen often or are left untreated. Wearing a loose, comfortable pair of pyjamas or shorts without underwear can actually reduce chafing to your genitals (Healthline 2020).

3 Good for your sperm count
The testicles hang outside of the body for a reason. To produce sperm efficiently, the testicles need to stay at about 34.4°C (94°F) (follow this link for further information) a few degrees cooler than the body’s typical 36.1°C to 37.2°C (97°F-99°F) (follow this link for more information). Wearing underwear, especially tight underwear, can push the testicles against your body and raise your scrotal temperature. This makes the testicular environment less than ideal for sperm production, causing Testicular Hyperthermia (follow this link to find out about that). Over time, this may lower your sperm count and increase your chances of infertility (although the jury may still be out on this because more research is needed (Healthline 2020).

Bonus Reason!!!

It Will Revive Your Love Life 🙂

Another benefit of not wearing underwear in the evening is that it may revive your intimate life with your husband or wife. If you wander around the house in the evening without wearing underwear well… one thing could lead to another! Being intimate is healthy for our bodies and minds so not wearing underwear may actually boost both your immune system and your relationship with your spouse (Blossoms 2020).

Conclusion

There is some good science to support taking a break from your undies once in a while. A safe way to do this regularly is to just take them off a t night, when you’re home and don’t have to worry about what other people are doing or thinking.

I have personally tried it and can report positive results. I must admit it is liberating and it’s currently keeping me cool at night in the present heatwave!!!

On the other hand it must be said that while the benefits of the underwear-free life are clear, going commando is a personal choice, so don’t feel like you have to do it if you don’t want to or if it makes you uncomfortable. It’s your life and your underwear (or not!) (Healthline 2020).

Whatever you do. KEEP IT CLEAN!

Bibliography

Healthline. 2020. Benefits and Precautions of Note Wearing Underwear. Healthline Web site, at: <https://www.healthline.com/health/going-commando-men#overview&gt; 13 August 2020

She Blossoms. 2020. The Surprising Health Benefits of Note Wearing Underwear (Going Commando!) She blossoms Web site, at <https://www.theadventurouswriter.com/blog/benefits-of-not-wearing-underwear/&gt; 13 August 2020

The List. 2020. When you stop wearing underwear this is what happens to your body. The List Web site, at: <https://www.thelist.com/213501/when-you-stop-wearing-underwear-this-is-what-happens-to-your-body/&gt; 13 August 2020