Biology of Snuggling: Serotonin

It's been a while since I wrote another blog because I have been so busy networking and explaining to several audiences what I do for a living. I have found that people largely see what I do is solely emotional support. While emotional support is a huge aspect of my work (and many of my clients, in some shape or form, are often misunderstood or isolated), there is a bigger reason why what I do is so effective for the people I work with.

Don't get me wrong. This work is great for people who do need emotional support, and I do provide emotional support. I know for a fact that I'm not the best person to give emotional support. When I work with clients, I always ask questions about the other people they work with because I know I can't replace those professionals. They know how to provide the emotional support that another person needs. They are better trained to handle any emotional situations which may arise. (I can help with the initial emotional coping and provide some emotional guidance. Other than that, I simply point my clients in the right direction to other incredible professionals who can help them more than I can.)

The work I do is important for people who need physical support. You cannot get the physical support, the touch I give to my clients, from a therapist, a life coach, or a counselor. They are not there to hug you. They do not sit with you and rub your back. They do not focus on any physical touch with you because of their professional boundaries. They cannot ground you with their hands and their body. They cannot give you a conversation about your platonic physical needs at that moment, be it on your back, your chest, your arms, hands, your hair... Those are things I do, and it's not only something that feels good but biologically helps your body naturally produce certain chemicals that you need.

It's a biological need to cuddle. People physically need that touch.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the concepts I'm going to discuss are based on some scientific theories and findings. Do note that these scientific findings are subject to change as we discover and revise our findings on how the body works, and I am in no way representing a doctor or a medical professional as far as this goes. That said, there is information out there I want my readers to be aware of which will help them understand why Professional Cuddlers could be helpful on a physiological level. You're welcome to do more research on these and correct me; in fact, I welcome it. (You can email me at sam@snugglewithsam.com with what you find).

And for you readers who think this might be too much information for you to take in all in one go, I will bold the essentials of the article for you so you can still enjoy this article.

When you cuddle, you produce a whole host of chemicals that are super beneficial for very specific body functions and mental regulation that you cannot get from just talking about your feelings. But not only does your body produce these chemicals... Cuddling can help you regulate the chemicals in your body (in other words, heighten the chemicals as needed or lower the chemicals as needed). The production of these essential natural chemicals which your body makes.

One of these chemicals which are produced while cuddling and one which most people overlook is serotonin. Serotonin is most well known for regulating sleep (this is why couples who cuddle together get sleepy at night), but it's also known for helping with regulating hunger, digestion, and bone health. It's also known as a natural mood stabilizer.

Note that serotonin is something which is produced from an essential amino acid, tryptophan. To regulate it, you need to have this amino acid in your diet. This means you can get the building blocks to make serotonin in foods like nuts, cheese, and red meat. If you're lacking in these foods, chances are cuddling will help a little bit but getting these in your diet first will boost cuddling's effectiveness.

Anywho, serotonin is really helpful for the bodily functions we listed above, but it has a direct effect on:

Stress: serotonin naturally lowers blood pressure, which means it helps you relax.

Anxiety: much like stress, lowering blood pressure is huge for those with anxiety. Serotonin can also induce natural and more restful sleep rather than waiting until an anxiety attack exhausts you into going to sleep.

Depression: one theory on depression regulation has to do with new brain cell production, and serotonin helps with producing new brain cells which can help fight depression.

Sexual function: while Professional Cuddlers are not meant to stimulate anything sexually and our intentions are on a therapeutic and platonic level, studies have shown that those who have high serotonin levels that are lowered and regulated tend to have a decrease in libido. (In other words, hypersexual people may benefit from platonic snuggling as a way to regulate their urges). It can also work the opposite way: people with low libidos could have their libidos raised through cuddling. (I cannot emphasize enough on this point: Professional Cuddlers do not encourage sexual activity during any cuddling sessions.)

Lastly, there are a few ways you can naturally get some serotonin regulation, and widely accepted methods include exercise and sun-lamp therapy. However, it seems that mood induction is also a natural and accepted way to increase serotonin levels. This means that, while not widely recognized yet, Professional Cuddling could later down the line be widely considered a natural way to attempt serotonin regulation.

Sources:

"Serotonin: 9 Questions and Answers." http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/serotonin#1

"Serotonin: Syndrome and Ways to Boost Serotonin." http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/kc/serotonin-facts-232248?

"Serotonin and Blood Pressure Regulation." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22407614

"Serotonin: Functions, Side Effects, and More" http://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin#what-is-it2