5 Reasons Why Couples Need Physical Touch While Sleeping

Have you ever realized that even after a particularly heated argument, you feel the need to touch your partner’s hand or have some sort of physical contact while sleeping? Touching your partner in your sleep becomes a common habit that couples grow to develop after sleeping next to each other. 

Physical touch is an essential aspect of any relationship, and its importance only increases when it comes to sleeping with your partner. At first, just sharing my bed with another human was an alien concept for me. However, after getting in a serious relationship, everything changed. After a long day, the best feeling is when my boyfriend reaches for me in his sleep. 

It almost becomes like a subconscious routine! In fact, there are psychological reasons behind why you may find yourself going for that touch every night.

Why Do I Keep Touching My Partner In My Sleep?

While some may find it uncomfortable or impossible to share a bed, studies have shown that touching your partner in your sleep can profoundly effect both the quality of sleep and the emotional bond between partners. 

Physical touch is a kind of love language that not only expresses your feelings but also forms a deeper bond with your partner. 

Let’s explore why couples need physical touch while sleeping and how it can benefit both partners.

1. Promotes Emotional Bonding

A physical touch is an intimate act that can help promote emotional bonding between partners. When you sleep close to your partner, you can feel their warmth and comfort, which can create a sense of security and trust.
According to research, this can help build a deeper emotional connection between partners and strengthen the bond they share. When partners sleep together, they are also more likely to engage in non-verbal communication, such as snuggling or holding hands, which can further strengthen their connection.

2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Touching your partner in your sleep can also have a significant impact on reducing stress and anxiety. When you are close to your partner, you are more likely to feel safe and secure, which can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Research suggests that this is because physical touch releases oxytocin, a hormone that is associated with relaxation and stress reduction. The act of holding hands, hugging or snuggling can also help to decrease cortisol levels, which is a hormone that is released in response to stress.

3. Improves Sleep Quality

Physical touch can also have a positive impact on sleep quality. When partners sleep close to each other, they are more likely to synchronize their breathing and heart rates. 

Studies suggest that this synchronization can also help to reduce the number of times partners wake up during the night. Additionally, feeling a touch while sleeping can create a sense of calmness and relaxation as well.

The feeling of warmth and comfort that comes from physical touch can also promote deeper sleep, which can leave both partners feeling more rested and refreshed in the morning.

4. Enhances Intimacy

Physical touch during sleep can also enhance intimacy between partners. When couples sleep close to each other, they are more likely to engage in physical contact, such as cuddling or holding hands, which can help build intimacy.

This physical contact can also lead to more frequent and satisfying sexual experiences. The physical intimacy that comes from sleeping together can help partners feel more connected and emotionally fulfilled.

5. Boosts Overall Health

Finally, physical touch while sleeping can also have positive effects on overall health. Studies have shown that physical touch can help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.

Additionally, sleeping with your partner can help promote a sense of well-being and reduce feelings of loneliness, which can have a positive impact on mental health.

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Is Touching Your Partner in Your Sleep Normal?

Touching your partner in your sleep is completely normal. It does not only improve your mental health but also your overall well-being. Being touched while sleeping boosts intimacy between couples. 

When we talk about touching your partner, we are only not talking about sexual physical touch while sleeping. This can be any kind of non-sexual touch, like hugging while sleeping or touching feet while sleeping. 

Touching while sleeping can become a subconscious habit as physical touch prompts the release of oxycontin. For me, cuddling before going to sleep has become a non-negotiable practice. It’s an essential part of my sleep routine, something that just wraps my day on a stress-free note. Trust me, there is no better feeling at the end of the day than when a man hugs you while sleeping. 

There are several benefits of cuddling while sleeping: 

• Boosts immunity
• Eases pain and stress
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves heart health 
• Improves sleep quality
• Improves mood

Besides these, touching your partner in your sleep can also help you improve your relationship and intimacy.

In a study conducted to understand the effects of sleep touch, it was found that couples sleeping together who experience physical touch while sleeping had better sleep quality. They were more calm, happy and less angry and irritated in the morning. The study concluded that physical touch during sleep did affect regulatory functions between couples and improved their relationship health.  

Here are some of the non-sexual physical touch you can try with your partner while sleeping: 

1. Holding Hands: Holding hands is the most basic way of showing affection to your partner. This simple gesture boosts the release of endorphins, the mood-boosting hormones, and at the same time communicates your love for your partner. 
2. Cuddling: Cuddling or spooning at night can just be the best, most satisfying feeling in the world. The act of cuddling can bring you and your partner closer together physically and emotionally. 
3. Skin-to-skin touch: Skin-to-skin touch helps strengthen your bond with your partner. A simple hand on your partner, or a foot on top of a foot while sleeping can be more comforting than you would think. 

Physical touch is an important aspect of any relationship, and it becomes even more important when it comes to sleeping with your partner. Whether it’s cuddling, spooning, holding hands or simply sleeping back-to-back, touching each other, the power of touch enhances the connection between partners. 

Additionally, you can also try and sleep naked with your partner to enhance your relationship even further and improve self-esteem. 

Touching your partner also becomes kind of a love language– a non verbal communication of love. You can express your love for your partner by simply holding their hands or hugging them from behind while sleeping without having to speak anything. It is one of the easiest and most affectionate ways of expressing love. 

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Physical Touch: The Ultimate Love Language

There is something about having your hand over your partner’s that makes you feel calm and stress-free which is the best way one should go to bed. When people think about touching your partner while sleeping, they often think about sex or physical touch that will lead to sex. However, the physical touch goes beyond just that. 

Simple acts like holding the hands of your partner or keeping your leg on top of theirs while sleeping are sometimes the simplest and the next acts of showing love. Feeling a hand touch you while sleeping is just one of those small things that you know will instantly lighten your mental stress. 

If you are someone who is not comfortable sharing a bed with someone, doesn’t like to be touched while sleeping or has never experienced physical touch while sleeping, give it a shot and analyze if there is a difference in your sleep.

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