There are certain things you’d expect to hear from a doctor on TikTok: skincare tips, weight loss hacks, perhaps a PSA about the dangers of an overnight colon cleanse. But not a solemn warning about the microbial hazards of sleeping bare-assed.
Yet here we are.
Dr. Anthony Youn, a Detroit-based plastic surgeon and unlikely prophet of bedtime hygiene, has gone viral with his video, “Why you should never sleep without underpants!” It’s racked up over 11 million views, which means millions of people have now had to picture microscopic poop dust settling into their sheets like snow on Christmas Eve.
Butt the thing is…he’s not wrong.
The Inconvenient Truth About Noctural Gas
As Dr. Youn points out, the average person farts 15 to 25 times a day. This includes the hours when you’re asleep, vulnerable, and unaware of the silent biological warfare happening beneath the covers.
Here’s where it gets worse.
Science proves that every time you pass gas, you’re not just blowing air out your back door—you’re also releasing a “tiny amount of fecal material” into the world. Yes, your midnight gas doubles as a microscopic crop dusting operation.
Dr. Youn delivers this information with the matter-of-fact tone of someone telling you the weather forecast: “And that same study shows your tighty-whities will catch all of these particles.”
Which raises the horrifying implication that underwear is basically a face mask for your butt.
Underwear: The Only Defense Between You and a Biohazard Bed
Underwear can’t magically sterilize your farts. But it does provide a filter. And a filter is better than nothing. Think of it like this: Would you rather someone sneeze directly into your face, or into a tissue first? Exactly.
Your bed partner probably isn’t thrilled about sharing a mattress with your unfiltered gastrointestinal exhaust. Dr. Youn, ever the diplomat, frames it gently: “For the sake of your bed partner, please sleep with your underwear on.”
Even if you sleep alone, there’s still the matter of your sheets. Those Egyptian cotton 800-thread-count linens you brag about? They’re absorbing more than just your body heat.
Public Reactions: Shock, Disbelief, and Fire-Escape Contingencies
TikTok and YouTube comment sections were quick to do what they do best: blend outrage, mockery, and reluctant agreement into one chaotic stew.
One viewer summarized the situation with unsettling gratitude: “Fecal matter on the bedsheets. What a delightful thought. Thanks, underwear. You’re the real MVP.”
Another clung to personal freedom: “I love you Dr. Youn, but when I am in my own bed my underwear or lack thereof is my own business.”
And then there was the practical thinker: “I never sleep in the nude because I’m scared if the house catches fire I have to run outside naked.”
This last point is actually worth considering. The odds of a house fire may be low, but the odds of running into your neighbors in the middle of the night while wearing nothing but panic and smoke are less than ideal.
The Naked Sleepers’ Defense
In fairness, there are arguments for sleeping in the nude: skin health, freedom of movement, temperature regulation. And sure, letting your body “breathe” sounds great in a wellness podcast sort of way.
But none of those benefits address the issue at hand.
If you’re truly committed to your bedtime nudist lifestyle, then you’re also committing to laundering your sheets with military-level regularity. You can’t go weeks between washes and expect your bed to be anything but a forensic scene.
The Case for Pants at Bedtime
Dr. Youn’s viral warning might sound absurd, but it’s the kind of absurd that makes uncomfortable sense once you hear it. This isn’t about modesty. It’s about science, courtesy, and not marinating your sheets in an invisible fog of gastrointestinal debris.
You can keep sleeping naked if you want. Just understand that, statistically, your sheets are already hosting more than dreams. If you insist on going commando, at least commit to laundering your bedding like you’re running a hazmat operation. And maybe give your backside a quick once-over with a DUDE Wipe before lights out, so you’re starting the night with a clean slate.
For everyone else: throw on some underwear. Your bed partner, your laundry, and your dignity will thank you.
