Is it bad to wear socks in bed?
Asked by: Yasmin Hayes (age 13), London
No – in fact, it may give you a better night’s sleep. A 2007 study at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience found that people who wore socks in bed fell asleep faster than those without.
The reason is that warming your feet tricks your body into thinking it’s too hot, and so it increases blood flow to the skin. This causes your core temperature to drop slightly, and a reduced core temperature is one of the signals that tell the brain to prepare for sleep.
It’s a good idea to wear a different pair from your daytime socks, though, just to keep things feeling fresh.
Read more:
- Why do I have more vivid dreams when sleeping in a bed other than my own?
- Why do I get cramp in my feet when I’m just lying in bed?
- Is it true that you shouldn’t keep plants in the bedroom?
- I wake up at 4am every morning and can’t get back to sleep. What can I do to fall asleep again?
Authors
Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
