4 Ways Hugs Are Good For You And Your Health

Soft physical contact activates “cuddle nerves,” which result in positive alterations in the brain.

Being able to hug loved ones has been something that many people have missed most during the pandemic. Indeed, many didn’t realize how vital contact is for many facets of our health, including our mental health, until we lost the ability to hug friends and family.

Hugs are particularly satisfying because of our tactile sense. It’s a vital sense that enables us to interact with people by forging and upholding social relationships in addition to enabling us to physically explore the world around us.

Touch is composed of two separate systems. The first is “fast-touch,” a nervous mechanism that enables humans to quickly recognize contact (for example, if a mosquito landed on your nose, or you touched something hot). A “slow-touch” system is the second. These newly identified nerves, known as c-tactile afferents, process the emotional significance of touch.

These c-tactile afferents, which have effectively evolved into “cuddle nerves,” are primarily stimulated by a very particular type of stimulation: a soft, skin-temperature touch, such as that experienced during a hug or caress. The rewarding, enjoyable elements of social tactile interactions, such as hugging and touching, are signaled by c-tactile afferents, which we consider as the brain input stage.

In the womb, touch is the first sense to activate (around 14 weeks). From the moment we are born, a mother’s soothing touch has numerous positive effects on our health, including reducing heart rate and encouraging the development of brain cell connections.

The stimulation of the c-tactile afferents in our skin during a hug causes the spinal cord to send messages to the brain’s emotion-processing networks. This triggers a series of neurochemical signals that have positive effects on health. The neurochemicals include the hormone oxytocin, which is crucial for social bonding, lowers stress and anxiety levels, and decreases heart rate. The instant feelings of pleasure and wellbeing gained from a hug or caress are supported by the release of endorphins in the brain’s reward circuits.

Hugging has such a calming and relaxing effect that it also has other positive effects on our health.

It makes our sleep better.

Because it reduces cortisol levels, soft contact is known to regulate our sleep, from the advantages of cosleeping with infants to snuggling with a partner. Our sleep-wake cycle is significantly regulated by cortisol, which also rises during stressful situations. Therefore, it seems sense that excessive amounts of stress can disrupt sleep patterns, delay falling asleep, or even cause insomnia.

Reactivity to stress is decreased

In addition to the immediate calming and enjoyable feelings that a hug can bring, social touch has long-term health advantages as it helps us become more resilient and less reactive to stress.

In brain regions that are important for controlling emotions, nurturing touch during early developmental phases results in increased amounts of oxytocin receptors and lower levels of cortisol. Infants that have a lot of nurturing interaction develop into adults who are less anxious and receptive to stress.

It raises happiness and pleasure

Social touch keeps us connected and supports the upkeep of our relationships throughout our lives. As previously said, this is because it causes the production of endorphins, which lead us to perceive hugs and physical contact as gratifying. We are held together by the “glue” of touch, which supports our bodily and emotional health.

Additionally, when touch is wanted, both parties to the exchange benefit. In fact, simply giving your cat a gentle stroke can improve its health and happiness since it raises oxytocin levels in both the pet and the owner.

It might aid in the prevention of infections

Touching and hugging can modify our body’s immune response by regulating our hormones, such as oxytocin and cortisol. The ability to fight infections can be suppressed by high levels of stress and anxiety, but intimate, encouraging interactions are good for our health and wellbeing.

Even research says that snuggling in bed may help us from getting the common cold. The likelihood of getting a cold was significantly lower among those who hugged frequently among the little more than 400 individuals who were then exposed to the common cold virus, according to the study’s findings. And even if they did, the severity of their symptoms was lower.

Give it a hug

It’s crucial that we continue to provide hugs. It is well established that social isolation and loneliness increase our risk of dying young. Perhaps future studies should look at whether a lack of hugs or other forms of social contact may be the cause of this. Touch is a natural inclination that is generally good for our physical and emotional wellbeing, so we should rejoice when it returns.

Naturally, not everyone yearns for a hug. There is no need to worry for those who don’t because hugging yourself has also been demonstrated to regulate emotional processes and relieve stress, so there is no need for those who do.

Source: theconversation.com