'I'm a doctor – wearing one item to bed can help you fall asleep faster'
Getting a good night's sleep could be as simple as changing what you wear to bed.
We all have different clothing preferences when it comes to sleeping. Some of us like to get under the covers wearing nothing at all, while others prefer a full set of pyjamas. But according to one doctor, wearing certain things to bed could actually impact how quickly you're able to fall asleep.
Doctor Jess Andrade, a paediatrician and sports doctor, claimed that you can actually fall asleep faster if you wear one specific piece of clothing to bed. However, it's such a controversial bedtime item that some people have refused to wear it, even if it means more tossing and turning.
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According to the doctor, you could get a better night's sleep if you wear socks to bed. She said: "Let's talk about people who wear socks to bed.
"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 who wear socks tend to fall asleep faster."
The Sleep Foundation also backed the idea of wearing socks to bed, citing one 2018 study that found that participants who used socks or other foot warming methods not only fell asleep faster, but also reported staying asleep for longer and "experiencing an overall better quality of sleep".
The organisation also states that wearing socks to bed can have other benefits, including helping to prevent menopausal hot flashes by decreasing the body's core temperature, reducing the symptoms of Raynaud's syndrome, and preventing cracked feet when paired with a healing balm or lotion applied to the feet before bed.
Despite the potential benefits of wearing socks to bed, many people in Dr Andrade's comments insisted they wouldn't be trying it themselves any time soon. Wearing socks in bed is often controversial, and while some people swear by it, others couldn't imagine anything worse.
One person said: "I feel like I'm being strangled to death if I wear socks to bed." Another added: "I feel trapped with my feet covered up. I don't even like blankets on my feet." And a third wrote: "I can't sleep with socks, the feeling bothers me. Once I take them off, I feel better and can sleep in peace."
Several commenters, however, said they wouldn't dream of sleeping without socks on. Others said they were on the fence about the idea but would try it out to see if it helped them get a better night's sleep.