Cosying up to a husband’s sweaty shirt relieves stress

WOMEN may complain about the smell of their husband’s dirty laundry but a new study has found the odour of a romantic partner’s clothing can help lower stress levels.

In new research published this week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, academics found that sniffing the sweaty cast-offs of a loved one decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and instilled a sense of calm.

But be warned, the opposite effect happened when smelling the body odour of a stranger, an effect to which most commuters can relate.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada said the new findings explained why women sometimes choose to wear a partner’s jumper or T-shirt when they are away from home.

“Many people wear their partner’s shirt or sleep on their partner’s side of the bed when their partner is away, but may not realise why they engage in these behaviours,” said Marlise Hofer, the study’s lead author and a graduate student in the university’s department of psychology.

“Our findings suggest that a partner’s scent alone, even without their physical presence, can be a powerful tool to help reduce stress.”

For the study, researchers recruited 96 straight couples and the man was asked to wear a clean T-shirt for 24 hours without using deodorant, or other scented products. They were asked to refrain from smoking or eating strong-smelling foods.

The women were then asked to smell either an unworn T-shirt, a shirt from their partner, or one from a stranger, before undergoing a mock job interview to raise their stress levels.

The researchers found that women who sniffed their partner’s shirts felt less stressed both before and after the interview.

The effect was greatest in women who recognised that the scent belonged to their partner, suggesting the benefits are strongest when people know what they are smelling.

Conversely, women who smelled a stranger’s scent recorded higher levels of cortisol than the unworn T-shirt group throughout the interview stress test.

The authors speculated that evolutionary factors may influence why the scent of a stranger makes people feel more stressed.

“From a young age, humans fear strangers, especially strange males, so it is possible that a strange male scent triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response that leads to elevated cortisol,” Miss Hofer said.

“This could happen without being fully aware of it,” she added.

Dr Frances Chen, the study’s senior author and assistant professor in the UBC department of psychology, said the findings could have practical implications to help people cope with stressful situations when they are away from loved ones.

“With globalisation, people are increasingly travelling for work and moving to new cities,” said Dr Chen.

“Our research suggests that something as simple as taking an article of clothing that was worn by your loved one could help lower stress levels when you’re far from home.” us

‘It’s possible that a strange male scent triggers the fight or flight response that leads to elevated cortisol’