Cuddle parties, at least the official, documented ones, began in February 2004 in a tiny Manhattan apartment, facilitated by Marcia Baczynski and Reid Mihalko. From that came the birth of the official organization, Cuddle Party, which trains and supports cuddle party facilitators in 17 countries across the world. Cuddle parties vary in price (ours cost $10) and have 11 rules, ranging from keeping the space tidy to not saying “yes” to something if you're actually feeling “maybe.”

Cuddle parties attract singles and couples, and, on occasion, families (there was a 16-year-old girl with her parents at the cuddle party I attended). You're advised to bring snacks, pillows, and blankets, and aren't allowed to wear shorts, tank tops, or lingerie. If you become sexually aroused, you're advised not to act on it, since the purpose of a cuddle party, according to the website, is to "meet new people, to enjoy amazing conversations, to touch, to be touched, to have fun, to practice asking for what you want, to practice saying 'no' to what you don’t want—all in a setting structured to be a safe place for exploration and enjoyment. … You can even come to a Cuddle Party just to cuddle!"

Professional cuddlers, such as Ali C. in New York City and Samantha Hess in Portland, Oregon, popped up in the last few years and charge for one-on-one cuddle sessions in their homes or yours. They often charge between $60 and $80 an hour and require you to sign a waiver or policy form, which covers the rules on cuddling, confidentiality and more. You can book 30 minutes, an hour, or sometimes even an entire night.

Professionals typically don’t work with clients who merely like cuddling, but use it as a form of healing, or to help people who didn't receive that kind of nurturing as a kid. Hess sums up the benefits of seeing a professional cuddler quite well on her website. She wrote, "Touch has the power to comfort us when we are sad, heal us when we are sick, encourage us when we feel lost, and above all else, allow us to accept that we are not alone."

Cuddle parties and professional cuddlers seem to have come at a good time in America. The data suggests we feel lonelier than ever. According to a study published in June 2006 in American Sociological Review, a quarter of Americans in 2004 had no one to discuss important matters with. That’s more than double what that statistic was in 1985.

The numbers from that report were widely debated but more recent studies also show an increase in isolation. Pew Internet reported in November 2009 that Americans’ discussion networks have decreased by a third since 1985. Barna Group found that nearly twice as many Americans self-identified as lonely in 2013 (20 percent) as they did a decade prior (12 percent).

Loneliness appears to fluctuate with age. An October 2008 study published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health found that 60.2 percent of college students experienced loneliness. A study published in AARP in September 2010 categorized 35 percent of adults aged 45 and older as lonely. Of those aged 45 to 49, 43 percent were lonely, and of people 70 and older, 25 percent were lonely.