There are people who like to sleep with socks on, while others can’t stand it because they find it in bad taste, those who consider it unsightly, and those who are unhygienic. It is a matter of taste.
According to some studies, sleeping with socks on is good for your health and is a good habit, especially in winter. The socks warm the feet, the heat dilates the blood vessels that send signals to the brain which knows it’s time to sleep. Maintaining a constant body temperature during sleep helps you sleep well.
If your feet are warm you fall asleep earlier because the vasodilation in the feet, thanks to the socks, reduces the time needed to fall asleep by as much as 15 minutes. Our body temperature varies from person to person, but it normally runs around 36 – 37 degrees centigrade. This temperature drops from one to one and a half degrees at night. It has been found that the faster the body cools, the faster one falls asleep.
So why is sleeping in socks good for your health?
To understand why it is necessary to understand the concepts of vasodilation and vasoconstriction. There vasodilation and vasoconstriction, are the two mechanisms through which our circulatory system lowers and raises body temperature. If the nervous system senses that our body is too hot, it dilates the blood vessels by redistributing the blood pumped from the heart. If it thinks it’s too cold, it restricts them, bringing blood flow to vital organs, so that heat is not lost.
The hands and feet are the parts of the body that most easily disperse heat due to their peripheral position. If these limbs are heated, it is transmitted to the brain that the body has an adequate temperature, which dilates the blood vessels and speeds up the body’s cooling process, which is important for falling asleep.
The best socks to sleep and rest well are those in cotton, viscose or wool and all those in natural fiber. However, it is necessary to avoid too many elastic bands at the ankles and calves otherwise we will wake up with unpleasant surprises.
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