What Is Cuddling? Benefits, Ways & Cuddling Positions

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Cuddling is unarguably one of the most exciting aspects of being in a relationship, whether romantic or not! You have the luxury of getting yourself wrapped up with your loved one to obtain premium comfort amidst other benefits.

The significant part is you don’t have to be a master in knowing how to cuddle. All you have to do is recognize the need for intimacy, affection, and togetherness and let nature take its course.

LCSW & sex therapist Danica Mitchell says,

Humans desire closeness and touch, and cuddling can be one of the best ways to satisfy that need, and both people get to benefit.

Although, this doesn’t negate the fact that there are some interesting cuddling positions that you might have yet to hear of.

Since exploration is one of the integral features of a relationship, taking it a step further by trying out different cuddling positions to achieve optimum cuddle comfort will not hurt.

Therefore, if you have ever asked, “What is cuddling?” Here is a piece that teaches all you need to know, ranging from the science to various cuddling positions, benefits, etc.

What is cuddling?

To know how to cuddle effectively, it is crucial to understand what it means. Cuddling is holding someone close in a loving, tender, and affectionate manner. Cuddling can be between a mother and a child, two or more romantic partners, or terrific friends.

The basic concept of cuddling signifies closeness and love. Apart from rare circumstances, two people unfamiliar with each other cannot be found cuddling because they have no emotional or psychological connection.

Related Reading: Contemporary Intimacy Exercises for Married Couples

5 benefits of cuddling

Spending moments experiencing cuddling comfort in your partner’s arms is one of the most beautiful things to happen to us. 

Cuddling is one of the ways we express our care and love to one another. 

And it would be interesting to mention that you might be unaware of several benefits of cuddling.

Since you already know how to cuddle, here are some things to gain from cuddles and snuggles.

1. It releases the Oxytocin hormone

If you are wondering, “Is cuddling good for you?” It will interest you to know that the oxytocin hormone is released when you cuddle. This hormone counters every negative emotion in you, making you feel at peace with yourself and others. When you are cuddled up with your partner, the gland that releases the hormone gets triggered almost immediately.

Hence, if you are having a bad time, you can indulge in cuddling and kissing your partner to feel better.

This journal by Pooja Parmar and Shams Malik discusses in-depth oxytocin, which is also called the cuddle hormone or love hormone. This study reveals all that oxytocin involves.

2. It helps you bond better

These days, it is common for people in relationships to get buried in aspects of their lives, like their careers, without paying good attention to their relationships.

This is one reason why relationships go cold after a while. Cuddling will go a long way if you are looking forward to reviving your relationship amid your busy schedule.

If you know how to cuddle correctly, doing this for a few minutes daily is beneficial. It would help you focus deeper on your partner and express what you feel for them through touch.

3. It boosts your immune system

One of the astounding health benefits of cuddling is how it positively affects your immune system. When oxytocin is released during cuddling, you feel powerful and untouchable. 

This psychologically impacts your body, enabling the hormones that fight off infection to work overtime.

So, you enhance your immune system during the cuddling process because you feel healthy and strong not to get sick.

4. It helps to reduce stress and the risk of heart disease

Another benefit of cuddling comfort is reducing stress and the chances of contracting heart-related problems. Aside from the known psychological benefits of oxytocin, it lowers blood pressure and stress.

With any of the romantic cuddling positions, a chemical reaction reduces blood pressure, which helps reduce the prospects of heart problems.

If the oxytocin released is insufficient, another hormone, Serotonin, is produced. Serotonin is the happy hormone that produces splendid results when combined with the oxytocin hormone.

So, anytime you feel stressed, one of the safest places to be is in your partner’s arms.

Watch this video to learn more about how touch affects our mental health:

5. It is easy to fall asleep

When you know how to cuddle, falling asleep will not be as difficult as before. In addition, if you have been struggling with sleep-related disorders like insomnia, cuddling will be efficient in helping you sleep better.

The hormone responsible for this is oxytocin. Since oxytocin helps you feel happy and at peace, you will fall asleep quickly.

Your body will be relaxed, and since you are in your partner’s arms or vice-versa, you will be provided with premium comfort that makes sleeping a breeze.

Related Reading: The Health Benefits of Intimacy With Your Spouse

How do you cuddle for the first time

When it comes to how to cuddle your partner, the modalities of this activity are specific to each relationship. This means that even though there are various cuddling ways, you need to do what works for your relationship.

If you don’t know where to start, here are some tips to help you when couples cuddle together.

1. Create a cuddle body language

Cuddle body language means positioning yourself to be cuddled. You can achieve this depending on how you relate to your relationship partner. 

Your cuddle body language can be spoken or acted upon depending on what might work better for you.

2. Seek your partner’s consent

Sometimes, cuddling might be what you want at that moment, but your partner doesn’t show signs that they want to. Rather than force them to enter the cuddling mood, communicate what you want and see if they will follow suit or not.

 Seeking consent from your partner  is usually encouraged during couples counseling sessions as it promotes intimacy and trust. 

3. Start slow

When you want to cuddle your partner, you don’t have to rush the process. Drift into it slowly. There is no harm in spending a few minutes trying to get a comfortable place for you and your partner to enjoy each other’s presence.

Related Reading: Habits of Couples Having Great Sex

5 romantic ways to cuddle

Cuddling is an incredible way to improve intimacy with your partner amidst other benefits. But what is the best way to cuddle?

If you don’t know how to cuddle, here are some romantic cuddling positions you can quickly learn.

1. The spooning position

Spooning is probably the most familiar cuddling position that many partners/couples enjoy. This is one of the best cuddling positions for sleeping and can easily lead to enjoyable intercourse between both parties. 

In spooning, there is the big spoon and the little spoon. The big spoon is usually the dominant or bigger partner. In contrast, the little spoon is the submissive or more petite partner.

The big spoon wraps itself around the little spoon as they lie on their sides, with the big spoon’s stomach in close contact with the bit of the spoon’s back. Similarly, you can consider the half spooning cuddle. 

Danica Mitchell suggests,

Don’t be afraid to mix up spooning roles; sometimes it’s nice for the big spoon to be in the little spoon position

2. The honeymoon hug position

If you don’t know how to cuddle, this is probably one of the first cuddling types you will unknowingly do. Most couples share this cuddling love during the honeymoon phase, where both partners want to be engulfed in each other’s presence and love.

The honeymoon hug requires you and your partner to lie on the side facing each other and wrap your limbs. This position brings you very close to your partner so that you can smell their breath while also cuddle sleeping. 

3. The arm draper position

One of the types of cuddling to try out with your partner when you want to have a flirty conversation is the arm draper. In this position, you and your partner lie on the side facing each other, with your arms placed on each other.

This two people cuddling position places you in the head-to-head position with your partner, which makes the atmosphere romantic. 

Also, if you want to sleep, this is not your position because you will feel someone’s eyes on you.

Related Reading: What is Flirting? 7 Signs Someone is Into You

4. The “cheek-to-cheek” butt position

One of the strange yet interesting ways to cuddle is the butt method, also called cheek-to-cheek. 

You and your partner lie on the side in the opposite directions, with your butt cheeks and lower back touching each other. 

You can bend your knees or stretch your legs to act playful. This cuddle-in-bed position helps you achieve any connection or intimacy level you want with your partner. 

However, it is easy to fall asleep in this position.

Danica Mitchell suggests,

This position can be great, especially if it’s really warm out. You might not want to be wrapped up with your partner when it’s hot, but having some physical touch can still be rewarding.

5. The sweetheart cradle position

If you desire to be nurtured and pampered, this is the cuddling therapy you might need. In this position, you lie on your back and hold your partner as their head rests on your chest. 

This position can be switched depending on the couples’ preferences. With this position, the cuddling time can span for an extended period because of the comfort of being in each other’s arms.

Rob Grader’s book titled The Cuddle Sutra reveals 50 cuddle positions that promote intimacy and the show of affection. Hence, if you are short on cuddle positions, this is an excellent place to check

Related Reading: Different Types of Hugs and What They Mean

Some commonly asked questions 

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about cuddling that can help address your doubts about the same:

• How long should a cuddle last?

Cuddling in bed or anywhere else can last as long as you and your cuddle partner want it last. There is no set duration for cuddling as it is determined by what makes you feel comfortable and for how long. 

• What happens after you cuddle?

The science behind cuddling comes primarily from touch. Touch is a powerful compassion language with some health and emotional benefits many people are unaware of.

In cuddling, touch triggers the activation of the oxytocin hormone, known as the feel-good or love hormone.

According to studies, oxytocin levels increase during activities like cuddling and hugging. The oxytocin hormone is produced in the hypothalamus, located in the forebrain. 

It has physical and psychological benefits, positively affecting emotions and social behavior.

Since cuddling precedes most sexual activities, it has been found to aid the release of the cuddling hormone oxytocin, which also helps achieve erection and orgasm.

Also, cuddling has been found to reduce stress hormone activity. The stress hormone, also called cortisol, is the hormone responsible for anxiety, decreasing our cognitive function. But when you cuddle more often, especially after a stressful period, your cortisol level drops.

Final thoughts

After reading this article, you will realize that it doesn’t boil down to how to cuddle alone; it is equally important to know its benefits.

This knowledge will help you appreciate the moments spent cuddling your partner. Cuddling is one way to get started for romantic partners drifting apart and wanting to save their relationship.