8 benefits of couple cuddling for a healthier relationship

Often in a relationship, you'll find that one partner is more of a cuddler than the other. This is probably not deliberate; everyone has their own way of showing their love and affection. However, cuddling is not just an expectation or a show to the world that you are in love. It's actually pretty vital in preserving a healthy, loving romantic relationship.

Believe it or not, couple cuddling has been scientifically proven to improve relationships in numerous ways. In fact, there is pretty concrete evidence that shows that cuddling feels so good and increases the closeness you feel to your partner because it actually causes physical changes in the body; releasing hormones which play a big role in romantic relationships.

If you haven't heard of oxytocin by now, getting a tight squeeze from a loved one after a rough day at work and the calming, "aaaaah..." feeling you get out of it will make sense. Also known as "the love hormone", oxytocin is released through cuddling, hugging and other intimate contact shared between two people.

This incredible hormone can lower levels of cortisol (that nasty stress hormone), leading to a feeling of well-being, bringing down anxiety levels and is linked to certain traits such as trust, bonding (oxytocin is also released through breastfeeding and childbirth), and can even lead to lowering of blood pressure caused by stress. 

In the beginning phase or 'honeymoon phase' of a relationship, oxytocin levels are especially high. This probably explains that new couple feeling of living in a happy little bubble- one that your usual daily stresses cannot penetrate. We all know that dreamy state where we first fall in love and catch ourselves sitting at work, smiling into space, completely unaware of it.

Obviously, as the honeymoon phase ends, and the bubble starts to disappear, oxytocin levels start to drop. A once-invincible love may start showing cracks as you and your partner start finding flaws in each other and real life finally starts testing you. If couple cuddling can help to sustain and maintain the romance and intimacy in your relationship, keep it going!

Now that we've cleared up the scientific stuff behind cuddling and why it makes us feel so good, let's get to the benefits of cuddling with your partner when you sleep. Even the self-proclaimed 'non-cuddlers', can't resist sleep cuddling. It's when we are most vulnerable. Most of us aren't even aware that we're cuddling when we're sleeping, or, in very affectionate relationships cuddle up before we go to sleep.

We've all been through them. The breakups that left us reeling; sometimes wondering if we'll ever fill the gap in our hearts again.  And we all know that night time when you’re lying in bed, an empty space beside you. is probably the most gut-wrenching part of the day.

After months or even years of sharing a bed and cuddling with another person, there's suddenly too much room in the bed. It's the time you try to beat the loneliness by cuddling with a pillow (or your unwilling cat). Why is bedtime so hard?  Why is it so hard to sleep alone?  Obviously, you miss your partner, but you also miss cuddling while sleeping. This is because there are benefits to cuddling while sleeping. Here’s why:

Often we find that when everything is quiet, the day is through and it’s time to hit the hay, our thoughts suddenly become louder. Those who suffer from insomnia and anxiety especially, tend to have intrusive thoughts, mostly unpleasant. Perhaps these are thoughts about current life stressors or even your past.

However, when we have someone we love holding us, we drift off far more easily-we feel less stressed and anxious, obviously thanks to the love hormone, but also because we just feel that we are safe, loved and not alone helps us to forget about all the things that keep us up at night.

If you and your partner are going through a rough time, battling to communicate properly or are just out of sync with each other, cuddling can be just what you need. Cuddling in bed at the end of a long day helps you to let your guard down, increases bonding and allows you both to feel trusting and vulnerable with each other. A good cuddle, even after a nasty fight, can melt away the pride and anger. It’s a way of communicating without words.

That’s a polite way of saying: it may lead to sex; the ultimate form of intimacy. What better time to get intimate than when you’re holding each other in bed? The lights are out, you can hear each other breathing, and you both just somehow know that you want to get a little frisky. Not only does a good sex sesh encourage intimacy, but it can also help to fix some problems in your relationship. It will ensure a fantastic night’s rest as an added benefit.

Here are a few more benefits that cuddling, in general, can give you:

Let’s jump back to the oxytocin that is boosted when you have a good cuddle. This magic hormone, combined with other hormones associated with cuddling (oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin), strengthen your immune system and help to fight off infections. This is also because when you’re in a close relationship, you are less stressed, and stress is a very big culprit in lowering your immunity to pesky bugs.

Once again, the love hormone works on lowering stress levels, resulting not only in lower blood pressure, but lowering your risk of heart disease as well! Doesn't that give a whole new meaning to having a happy heart when you're in love?

A study carried out in 2007 called the National Longitudinal Mortality Study found that couples who were happily married had an increased chance of living longer than those who weren't. They have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease, diabetes, lung disease, and other terrible late-life illnesses.

The oxytocin released while cuddling sounds like something created in a lab in a sci-fi movie, giving the amazing things it does. If you get sick or injured it can help you to heal faster and, bizarrely, it can actually increase your pain threshold. This is probably why women can handle labour and childbirth, as oxytocin is released in very large amounts during natural childbirth.

Whether you're suffering from depression, anxiety or panic attacks, having a loving and affectionate partner can minimize your symptoms in a big way. Studies have shown that that happily married (or unmarried) couples score lower on the depression scale in comparison to those that are single. This is, once again, thanks to feeling emotionally supported, less alone, safe, and less stressed out.

Have you ever had just the worst day and come home to a long, tight squeeze from your partner? It's a hard feeling to explain, but even for a few moments, all of your troubles seem to be a little lighter, as if you are sharing the load with someone else. Who knew that cuddling had so many benefits and more so, so much science behind it? Keep calm and cuddle on!