The Benefits of Cuddling a Stuffed Animal at Night

Have you ever thought about why your child is so calm and relaxed when they are surrounded by their favorite stuffed animals?

Over half of all children have an attachment object that soothes and comforts them. If you were one of those children with a comfort blanket or teddy bears permanently attached to them as a child, you might remember the traumatic experience of giving it up. Or perhaps you never did! But is it OK for an adult to still snuggle up to their childhood pal?

Stuffed animals are tools that can provide calmness and a sense of not being alone. The overall healthiness of sleeping with or relying on a stuffed animal depends on whether it’s helpful or damaging to one’s emotional integrity, daily function, and interpersonal relationships. However, it is perfectly safe and healthy for you or your child to continuously sleep with a teddy bear so long as it is not resulting in feelings of anxiety, distress, or dissociation from socializing.

Provides Comfort in Unfamiliar Environments

A raggedy piece of blanket or a tatty old cuddly toy doesn’t look so appealing as an adult. But comfort objects, like the name suggests, provide a feeling of safety and calmness to children. They remind children of home and often have a certain smell which settles them in times of distress. Additionally, the reliance on such objects is rooted in sensorial elements that lessen the stress of separation.

Releases Oxytocin

We are hardwired to be drawn and pulled toward soft and cuddly objects, and this fact applies to both kids and adults alike. When we cuddle anything soft and comforting, like a stuffed animal or teddy bear, it releases oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone that leaves us feeling calm and soothed.

Sentimental Value

For adults, many still have stuffed toys or a baby blanket from their childhood days, but may feel embarrassed about this when there is absolutely no need to be. Anything can hold symbolic value and sentimental meaning to us - whether it is a rock, necklace, or an old teddy bear that is tearing at the seams. It is often not so much the actual object that is special to us, but what it represents, symbolizes, the memories it conjures, and its ability to take us back to a time that once was.

Nurturing

Cuddling soft toys encourages children to be nurturing when they get older. The instinct to be gentle and caring is innate in children who are cared for gently, and when they cuddle their teddy bears, it is often an enacting of this instinct. Many kids will make beds for their soft toys, pretend to feed them, and host pretend get togethers and tea parties for them. Also, when a child is tired, afraid, overstimulated, or frustrated, the softness of a teddy can serve as a highly effective soothing aid. Through the experience of cuddling with a stuffed animal kids are able to navigate through difficult developmental challenges.

Whether yours is a blanket, a cushion or a stuffed toy, you shouldn’t be embarrassed about having your comfort object near when you go to sleep. Bear ‘R’ Us offers the most cuddly and snuggle-worthy stuffed animals on the market. With our wide variety of jumbo teddy bears, light up stuffies, and comfy plush toys, you can select the stuffed animal that best suits all your wants and needs.

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