The question:
Is it true that wearing socks to bed promotes sleep?
The science:
TikTok is abuzz with a sleepmaxxing hack: Sleeping with your socks on.
Socks can keep toes toasty and create a sense of comfort and coziness - and though it may seem counterintuitive, wearing socks also could help lower core body temperature, promoting sleep, experts said.
While there is a lack of high-quality studies on how wearing socks could help lower core body temperature, there is a well-accepted theoretical explanation.
Most people tend to sleep better when they are cooler, most sleep experts agree.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping ambient temperatures between 15.6°C to 19.4°C during sleep. It is a wide range, however, and it depends on the individual, experts said. A 2023 study suggests that for older adults, sleep is “most efficient and restful” when temperatures are between 20°C to 25°C.
Our bodies also help keep us cooler at night. Body temperature - about 37°C, on average - is influenced by circadian rhythm, and tends to fluctuate slightly throughout the day and night.
Our body temperature is lowest at about 4am, then rises gradually throughout the day, peaking in the evening before the drop, research shows.
Sweat can lower body temperature, as can distal vasodilation, a process in which tiny blood vessels under the skin widen, allowing heat to escape, said Indira Gurubhagavatula, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
“When we warm up our feet by wearing socks, the blood vessels under the skin dilate not just in the feet but everywhere,” said Gurubhagavatula, a professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “This vasodilation allows warm blood to come to the surface, and as it keeps circulating and coming to the skin, body heat is shed, and core body temperature eventually drops.”
“It is the drop in core temperature that signals the brain to get ready for sleep,” she added.
In 2018, a small study reported that six men who wore socks in a cool sleeping environment fell asleep an average of 7.5 minutes sooner, had fewer awakenings and slept 32 minutes longer than they did without socks. But given the small study size and methodology, it is difficult to draw a conclusion from the findings that can be applied more broadly, according to experts.
Similarly, a warm bath or shower, or a small amount of a nonalcoholic, non-caffeinated warm beverage before bedtime could raise body temperature, and then during vasodilation, the rapid decline in that elevated body temperature also could help promote better sleep, experts said.
Wearing socks to bed, however, “is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation,” said Michelle Drerup, director of behavioral sleep medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center.
The sock strategy is not recommended to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea and is not a substitute for physician-prescribed treatments or medications.
Additionally, people who have certain conditions that impede body temperature regulation, have circulation problems such as diabetes or are prone to fungal foot infections should consult a health-care professional about whether it is advisable to wear socks while sleeping, experts said.
What else you should know:
Those who want to try sleeping in socks could consider these tips from sleep experts:
- Choose clean and breathable socks. Fabrics that cannot breathe, such as synthetic materials, may cause increased sweating, which may promote foot fungus. Socks made of natural fibres such as cotton, cashmere or Merino wool “are best, given their warmth and breathability,” Drerup said.
- Opt for looser-fitting socks. Unless recommended by a treating physician, tight-fitting socks, especially compression socks, may inhibit circulation and increase the risk of certain medical problems.
- Try specialty sleep socks when there is a need. Aloe vera-infused socks, for instance, may help moisturise dry, cracked feet during sleep.
But any given night, people sleep better or worse for multiple reasons, “so don’t make a decision based on one or two nights. If you’re going to try it, do it for about a week to see whether it’s making a difference,” said Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Stanford University.
The bottom line:
Wearing socks may help promote sleep for some people, but more research is needed. Sleep behaviours are highly personal with variable results, but for most people, there is no harm in trying it, experts said.