Do socks = better sleep?

Sleeping as soon as you hit the bed can be a blessing which many people can only envy, and hacks to sleep faster have been popular for a long time. A lot of people with trouble sleeping try things like counting sheep or doing breathing regimens, but still many go to bed only to find that their mind keeps racing with their thoughts, and when they look at the clock, hours have passed with them lying there, tossing and turning.

Last week on TikTok, Dr. Jess Andrade give us a tip on why wearing socks to bed could help you nod off quicker. How the trend has started is yet to be known, but many people have tried the life hack, providing testimonials that it works. Apparently, people struggle to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night which ensures a better-quality slumber.

You may have tried (like me) taking your feet out of the blanket to get comfortable but then you start feeling cold. After several tries of tucking the feet in and then kicking them out again, you might end up keeping just one leg out of the blanket, but sometimes that doesn’t even work. After a night or two of this, you will be looking for a better way.

Although it sounds counterintuitive at first, Dr. Jess explains why socks in bed may help keep your feet cooler.

What Does Dr. Jess Andrade Have To Say?

@doctorjesss

I wear socks to bed so don’t come at me im not weird

♬ presleywalker - PresleyWalker

I wear socks to bed so don’t come at me im not weird

♬ presleywalker - PresleyWalker

I wear socks to bed so don’t come at me im not weird

♬ presleywalker - PresleyWalker

In the video she explains "Wearing socks makes your feet warm, and this opens up the blood vessels that cool the body down. The body being cool tells the brain that it's time for bed. So actually, people that wear socks to bed tend to fall asleep faster."

The video has been posted on Tiktok and has received around 20 million views which tells us that at least we are not the only ones suffering with the issue.

Of course, many people have contradicted the statement of Dr. Jess, stating that they have to take off their socks while going to bed. These people say that feet need to breathe at night to stay cool, and that covering them creates a feeling of suffocation. On the other hand, some people believe that they cannot go to sleep without socks. And we even found another testimonial reasoning that wearing socks all day long makes you feel lazy. I guess this could be related back to the statement made by Dr. Jess that wearing socks can signal the brain that it is time to sleep.

What do the boys in the lab say?

To our knowledge, scientific evidence does not provide any concrete views on whether wearing socks can help you fall sleep faster, but there have been studies done (You guessed it, your government dollars are hard at work). The results of one of the studies say that socks can help you sleep faster by stabilizing the core temperature of the body resulting in better Zzzz’s.

On the opposing court, other’s state that even though socks can help you fall asleep faster; they believe that there are negative impacts on the quality of sleep. The socks might make the body’s core temp increase, causing you to wake up “feeling like your ears are on fire”.

The upside of wearing socks to bed.

There are other benefits of wearing socks to bed apart from helping you sleep faster, such as keeping your feet moisturized through the night. Cracked heels are a common problem as the skin dries out and eventually cracks due to low humidity in the environment, especially in the winter time. Socks infused with aloe claim to help with this issue.

Those that suffer from Raynaud’s syndrome (cold extremities due to poor circulation) might find that wearing socks to bed helps level out their body temperature and provide better rest.

Lastly, wearing socks around the house prior to going to bed can prevent the feet from getting as cold to start with, helping you to get to sleep. Cozy socks made from cashmere or merino wool are great for this.

Conclusion

Well, looks like the jury may still be out. It’s obvious that it does help some people but personally, I am a “no sock in bed” kinda guy myself. Although my wife wishes I would wear some because, when my cold feet touches her warm leg, it definitely messes with her sleep pattern. And if she jumps (or screams a little) it messes with mine as well. You know, on second thought, maybe I’ll give it a try. You do the same and let us know how it works for you!