If you’ve ever dreamed of your partner sleeping with their hand on your intimate area, believe me, it’s not purely a sexual desire, but rather biology.
In 2023, researcher Ekaterina Schneider and her team studied 247 people and found that affectionate touch was associated with higher momentary oxytocin levels and less anxiety and stress. In addition, those who had more affectionate contact showed lower cortisol levels compared with other participants.
This matters because stress and sleep are also linked to testosterone. During the night, this hormone continues to follow a rhythm tied to rest, while sustained stress and sleep disturbances can interfere with its production.
That’s why sleeping cuddled up, caressing each other, or simply maintaining physical contact can help create a state of greater calm and connection. Although it could indirectly benefit hormonal balance by reducing stress, it has not been shown that specifically placing your hand on your “buddy” increases or regulates testosterone.