Feeling lonely? Hire a snuggle buddy!

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After a few hours of conversation in a room at the Super 8 motel in Roseville, Marissa Weiss fell asleep with a man’s arm around her waist. The man, however, was not her boyfriend. In fact, they had met only hours before. Weiss, 22, was a “professional snuggler.” For $80 an hour, she would cuddle, comfort and caress for a fee. “There’s no undertone or hidden message,” said the college student from River Falls, Wis., who quit the side gig in January to focus on classes. “It’s just platonic cuddling.” The clothes may stay on, but the cuddle movement is taking off in the Twin Cities area. Interest in nonsexual touching is accelerating with newer online companionship services and cuddle apps that make it easier to get a cuddle fix. Then there’s the “cuddle party,” where, once a month, a few dozen pajama-clad people gather in a south Minneapolis living room for a cuddle workshop of sorts. While cozying up to a stranger might sound weird and paying for it might even sound fishy, cuddle proponents say its benefits are vast. Cuddling releases oxytocin — the love hormone — which can ward off depression and loneliness, reduce pain and even lower blood pressure, according to research.

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As the group toppled into a “puppy pile,” the conversations varied: children, grandchildren, careers. Much like an adolescent slumber party, some broke off into pairs or small groups. “I want a snuggle sandwich,” Diane Long announced, turning to Becky Shipman. “Do you want to be the little spoon in front?”

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