{"id":20238,"date":"2021-10-20T16:05:15","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T14:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=20238"},"modified":"2021-10-20T16:05:19","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T14:05:19","slug":"the-benefits-of-cuddling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Cuddling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who doesn\u2019t love a good cuddle sesh? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s with your partner, a fling, a friend, or your dog \u2013 cuddling makes us feel pretty darn good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some cuddle fanatics out there have even made events out of their love for cuddling. These \u201ccuddle parties\u201d are consensual<\/a>, non-sexual, places where people can go and get their cuddle on, oftentimes with total strangers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why does cuddling feel so nice? Are there other benefits to it besides that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s find out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Makes You Feel Good<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, cuddling feels good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may know our good old friend oxytocin<\/a>. Often called \u201cthe love hormone\u201d or \u201cthe cuddle hormone\u201d, oxytocin is essential to many processes like birth, pain management, and overall well-being.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus<\/a> and is released during things like cuddling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While oxytocin has many roles in the human body, the one it\u2019s most well known for is the rush of love or positive emotions that it brings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuddling elicits this response, but you don\u2019t need science to tell you that cuddling is good for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Gives You a Sense of Belonging<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a society where it\u2019s often hard to find your place or feel like you belong, we need every opportunity we can get to help us increase that sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuddling helps us to feel safe and secure, and like we not only have a place in the world but a place in a community with people that care about us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When everything is so fast-paced, sometimes we forget just how powerful it can be to slow down and remember what\u2019s important to you. Cuddling allows us to do just that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Increases Bonding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oxytocin plays a huge role in reproduction. It helps facilitate labor, lactation, and bonding with the baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to have a baby to reap the bonding benefits of the love hormone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuddling with your romantic partner or friends helps increase the bond you feel between you, this in large part thanks to hormones. Oxytocin produced by cuddling helps to build a foundation of trust and love with whoever has the privilege of cuddling with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of bonding is communication, and so much of communication is non-verbal. Cuddling helps you pick up the subtle cues and rhythms of the person you\u2019re with so that you can better communicate with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d be surprised what you can pick up about your human by just cuddling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It May Boost The Immune System<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After being told to keep our distance from other people for the sake of our health, it may seem shocking to learn that cuddling can help boost your immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are scientific studies<\/a> that have shown that hugging and cuddling can help improve the immune system as well as fight viruses like the common cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuddling and a human touch can also boost the immune system<\/a> by decreasing inflammatory cytokines and increasing disease-fighting white blood cells, or lymphocytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you might not want to cuddle with someone outside of your home if you\u2019re actively sick, it\u2019s great preventative medicine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Can Help Relieve Pain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Up until recently, researchers believed that oxytocin was only emitted into the bloodstream. Now they\u2019ve found<\/a> that it can also be released via the spinal cord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings are pushing scientists to explore new pain management tools that work with this connection in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can try it for yourself by cuddling up to a loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got a headache? Cuddle. Stomach hurting? Cuddle. Feeling a bit achy? Cuddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better Sex<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your cuddle partner is also your sexual partner, cuddling may improve your sex life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One study<\/a> found that partners who cuddled after sex had more sexual and relational satisfaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuddling can also be an essential aftercare<\/a> tool!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Relieves Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another incredible benefit of oxytocin is its ability to relieve stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a long, hard at work, maybe you reach for a drink or some reality T.V., or maybe you reach for your loved one for a cuddle! Or all of the above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can all use extra tools when it comes to managing our stress levels. This one is free, it\u2019s reciprocal, and it comes with a whole bunch of other benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not to mention, lowering stress levels is one of the best things you can do for your health. The release of oxytocin<\/a> helps to lower blood pressure and cortisol levels, aka the stress hormone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go Get Your Cuddle On<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not that you needed convincing, but now you have a little better understanding of just how awesome cuddling is for your mental, physical, and emotional health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no right or wrong way to cuddle. You can spoon, intertwine legs, hold each other, or some other variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have someone around you, and you\u2019re craving a cuddle, there are other ways you can get some of the benefits like cuddling with a pet, getting a massage, and even massaging yourself. While they don\u2019t replace the feeling of cuddling with another person, they can certainly help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now go get your cuddle on!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who doesn\u2019t love a good cuddle sesh?  Whether it\u2019s with your partner, a fling, a friend, or your dog \u2013 cuddling makes us feel pretty darn good.  Some cuddle fanatics…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":20241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Benefits of Cuddling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are many benefits of cuddling, so if you don\u2019t have someone around you, you can cuddle a pet, get a massage, or even massage yourself.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Natasha Weiss\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Natasha Weiss\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b6c60ecf47ec06a36c4b2f175253c5ff\"},\"headline\":\"The Benefits of Cuddling\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-20T14:05:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-20T14:05:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/\"},\"wordCount\":876,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Women's Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/\",\"name\":\"The Benefits of Cuddling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-20T14:05:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-20T14:05:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"There are many benefits of cuddling, so if you don\u2019t have someone around you, you can cuddle a pet, get a massage, or even massage yourself.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-cuddling\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Intimina\",\"description\":\"A Health and Wellness Resource for Women\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Intimina\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/INTIMINA_logo-02.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/INTIMINA_logo-02.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":543,\"caption\":\"Intimina\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intimina\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intimina\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/intimina\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/intimina\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCR_3_GPO6pkhDiFU9TZRdYA\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b6c60ecf47ec06a36c4b2f175253c5ff\",\"name\":\"Natasha Weiss\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b65d7a92be626bc22ff8eb7ad41dbf0c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b65d7a92be626bc22ff8eb7ad41dbf0c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Natasha Weiss\"},\"description\":\"Natasha (she\/her) is a full-spectrum doula and health+wellness copywriter. 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