Did you know that people are now earning from professional cuddling? Yes, professional cuddling is a new job trend in Japan. In fact, Japan’s first cuddle café named “Soine-ya” opened its doors in 2012 to clients who want to pay for a cuddle.
It may sound strange, but there are real people who are willing to spend their money just to reminisce the feeling of being cuddled during days of loneliness. This idea suggests that cuddling is indeed something that people consider important that they’re willing to pay for it.
Can you still recall the feeling when you had your last cuddle with a loved one – be it with your partner, siblings, parents, or close friends? A huge hug is something that makes people feel good, wanted and secured. How much more for a little baby?
Cuddling is unquestionably one of the vital needs of an infant that provides lots of beneficial effects both for them and their parents.
What Are The Benefits Of Cuddle Time With Your Baby?
1. It promotes strong emotional bonding.
Wondering how little babies recognize their moms, dads or primary care givers? Physical contact with our baby is essential upon birth because it provides a sense of attachment. According to a British clinician named John Bowlby, attachment is the natural need of people to form emotional bond with others. At a very young age, babies already manifest it by crying and clinging to obtain physical closeness with their parents or primary care givers.
2. It boosts the immune system.
When you gave birth, did you notice that your new born baby was laid down on your tummy right away? This is clinically termed as the skin-to-skin contact. During the first cuddle with the baby, the good bacteria present on the mom’s skin helps initiate the baby’s immune response.
3. It effectively reduces stress.
Researchers have found that touch can effectively lower the levels of cortisol, which is a hormone related to stress, as well as significantly regulate the heart rate for both infants and adults. This is the most possible reason why babies tend to calm down when they are being touched and cuddled.
Preterm babies are also found to benefit from early physical contact with their mothers. According to the study “Maternal Preterm Skin-to-Skin Contact Enhances Child Physiologic Organization and Cognitive Control Across the First 10 Years of Life,” it significantly enhances a baby’s stress reactivity along with other physical, behavioral and cognitive improvements.
4. It makes you happier.
Cuddle time increases the levels of our “happy hormones”, namely, endorphins and oxytocin.
Are you curious as to why we feel good after doing an exercise or eating a bar of chocolate? The one responsible for this great feeling is the release of endorphins. On the other hand, oxytocin is the hormone linked to childbirth and breastfeeding, and it plays a major role in increasing our feelings of happiness, well-being and emotional attachment.
5. It helps develop good personality traits.
Well-known psychologists like Freud and Erikson stressed the importance of physical contact between parents and their baby to help the child’s overall personality development. Hugging, touching and being there for our little one when he/she cries promotes a sense of trust and security which can later on help the child become more confident and self-reliant.
Dr. Lane Strathearn, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine led a study which revealed that women who lacked secure attachment early in life also have struggles in forming relationships with their partners and children later on. This suggests that the sense of attachment brought about by cuddling has significant effects on a person’s personality development up to adulthood.
Conclusion
A cuddle time with our baby is beneficial to enhance our overall health and bodily functions. It is one of the best ways to help our baby feel loved, secure and nurtured. So the next time your little angel calls your attention for a cuddle, wrap him in your loving arms. You and your baby are sure to enjoy the great feeling every time you spare a minute for a cuddle time.
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