Wearing Socks On Can Help You Sleep.

For several years I have been wearing socks to bed...except in the summer here in Florida. When my feet were cold, I was cold all over and couldn’t get to sleep. So between my socks and really warm blanket that I talked about in a recent thread, I am now sleeping better. Sleep is so important for fibro patients!

I just found all this good info about how sleeping with socks on can help you sleep! I wear thin cotton socks and they work great. They are not tight around my feet or ankles either. Anyway, here is the info I found and I hope it helps you. Let me know!!!

Is sleeping with socks on good for you?

As strange as it might seem, sleeping with socks on may aid getting to sleep faster. This is because temperature regulation is a necessary part of the sleep cycle.

Sleep is a vital part of everyone’s life. After all, humans spend around a third of their days sleeping.

The National Institute of Health say that sleep is essential for normal brain and body function.

Most people have difficulty getting to sleep from time to time. One trick they may not have tried is sleeping with their socks on.

Read on to find out more about the benefits and risks of sleeping with socks on.

Socks help you fall asleep
It may seem like wearing socks in bed would overheat the feet. But, in reality, this habit might assist the body’s internal temperature regulation.

A study from 2007 reported that adults who wore either normal or heated socks in bed got to sleep faster.

This is because a person’s core body temperature drops during the night, reaching the lowest temperature around 4 a.m. The average body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), but this varies by 1 to 2 degrees over the course of 24 hours.

Warming up the feet and hands makes the blood vessels dilate, a response that is called vasodilation. This releases heat through the skin and helps to lower core body temperature. This, in turn, sends a message to the brain that it is bedtime.

Research suggests that warm skin is associated with getting to sleep faster.

Sleep and body temperature
A person’s core body temperature is affected by their biological clock, also called their circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm controls the timing of sleep, making a person feel sleepy at night and awake in the morning.

Body temperature gradually rises during the day, peaking in the late afternoon when people feel most awake and alert. Body temperature then decreases during the night, making a person feel sleepy.

When someone begins to fall asleep, the temperature of their body decreases by 1 to 2 degrees. This could be because the body is conserving energy for other functions.

If a person sleeps with their socks on, this may help with their temperature regulation cycles.

Good temperature regulation in the body is also why it is usually suggested that people keep their bedrooms cool, somewhere between 60 and 67°F.

Other benefits of wearing socks in bed

Reducing Raynaud’s symptoms

Wearing socks while sleeping may help to prevent the symptoms of Raynaud’s disease.
Hands and feet that are frequently cold could be a sign of Raynaud’s disease.

Raynaud’s is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the skin. Attacks usually happen when a person is feeling cold or stressed.

During an attack, blood flow to the hands and feet is reduced. As a result, the fingers and toes start to feel cold and numb. They may also change color to white or blue.

People experiencing a Raynaud’s attack for the first time should speak to a doctor. Wearing socks in bed could help reduce symptoms, as well as keeping warm throughout the day .

Preventing hot flushes

Many women going through the menopause will experience hot flashes or flushes. Symptoms include:

a sudden sensation of intense warmth that spreads through the body
sweating
palpitations
flushing of the face
The ability of socks to help lower core body temperature during the night can also be of benefit in preventing hot flashes.

This is because hot flashes are thought to be caused by hormonal fluctuations that affect the body’s temperature control.

Sherrine