Maybe you like to cuddle on a comfortable couch with your partner while binge-watching Netflix [1] or perhaps you're a fan of cuddling underneath the covers [2] in the mornings before you start your day. No matter how you like to do it, it's hard to argue against the fact that cuddling can sometimes feel like the greatest thing [3] in the world. Now you have an even bigger excuse to stay close: Cuddling comes with some positive benefits for your mind, body, and soul. Read ahead to learn more about some of the many benefits of this relaxing pastime.
It Can Help You Feel More Positive
Cuddling can help generate the appropriately named "cuddle hormone," also known as oxytocin, which can cultivate positive emotions. "Best known for facilitating the bond between a mother and a baby during both labour and breastfeeding, oxytocin is also a key hormone that creates the emotional bond in adult relationships [5]," says Liz Colizza, MA, LPC, NCC, a psychotherapist and head of marriage research and programs at Lasting [6], a relationship counseling app. She also explains that you produce oxytocin during an orgasm [7], but can also do so while experiencing other touches such as cuddling. "That means that the wonderful feelings you get after a sexual experience can also be had throughout the day, just in smaller doses," she adds.
It Can Deepen Your Relationship
One of the many amazing benefits of cuddling is that it can help you form deeper bonds with your partner, which in turn has a positive impact on your relationship [8]. "Healthy couples respond positively to 86 percent of one another's emotional calls [9], while unhealthy couples, respond positively only 33 percent of the time," says Colizza, "When you initiate cuddling, you are attempting to connect with your partner and deepen your relationship's overall emotional connection through physical intimacy".
It Can Fight Off Postpartum Depression
Touch, such as that from cuddling with a significant other, might help ward off postpartum depression [10]. "In fact, a remarkable study by Dr. Tiffany Field suggests massages, given daily, can fend off postpartum depression for couples with a newborn [11]," says Colizza. "In this study, women who received massages experienced less overall depression and stress levels after they gave birth, as opposed to the control group of women who did not receive massages."
It Can Help You Become a Better Communicator
Something as simple as cuddling can work wonders in the communication department [12] as well, especially when it is with your partner. "Cuddling can accurately communicate to your partner how you're feeling [13] without saying a word," says Colizza.
It Can Help Regulate Stress, Depression, and Even Blood Pressure
Cuddling is not only comforting and something that can be fun to do, but it can also have profound effects on your overall well-being. "Multiple studies have shown that physical touch in romantic relationships can help partners alleviate stress [14]," says Colizza. "According to research, partners who cuddle frequently have lower blood pressure [15], as well."