This Doctor Gives a Convincing Case for Wearing Socks To Bed for Better Sleep

Wearing socks to bed is more divisive than Ross and Rachel’s “we were on a break” argument. People either love wearing socks to bed or the bottom of their feet starts to itch just at the thought of it. While one choice isn’t necessarily “healthier” than the other (I mean, we’re talking about socks here), one doctor recently sounded off on which choice can help you sleep better and the answer may surprise you.

Jess Andrade, DO, recently shared some mind-blowing info on TikTok about how wearing socks to bed can help you sleep better—really. “Wearing socks makes your feet warm and this opens up blood vessels that cool the body down,” she shares. “The body being cool tells the brain that it’s time for bed. So people who wear socks to bed tend to fall asleep faster.”

Scientific research backs her up. One very small 2018 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that “feet warming using bed socks during sleep in a cool environment had positive effects on sleep quality by shortened sleep onset, lengthened sleep time, and lessened awakenings during sleep but had no significant influence on core body temperature.” (Basically, wearing socks to bed when it’s cold helped people sleep better without overheating them.) While the study was only conducted on a few adult men, the authors conclude that the results suggest a person could improve their sleep quality by “manipulation of the foot temperature throughout sleeping.”

If sleeping with socks on really isn’t your thing but you want the benefits, another small study from 2013 shows that taking a warm foot bath before bed can also be helpful. The reason why is the same as with socks: it opens up blood vessels and cool the body down.

Regardless of what’s going on with your feet, the cooling-the-body-down bit is important, too. Sleep experts say that the best sleep temperature is between 60°F to 67°F. “Our internal clock, or circadian rhythm, is controlled in part by the temperature of our external environment,” sleep medicine specialist Joshua Roland, MDpreviously told Well+Good. “If our external environment is too warm, in addition to us being sweaty and uncomfortable, we can also potentially throw off our internal drive to sleep.”

Still not convinced to sleep with your socks on? Here’s one more reason. Wearing ’em could lead to more orgasms. According to one study by the University of Groningen, couples who wore socks while getting intimate were 30 percent more likely to achieve orgasm. Improving blood flow in your feet truly is that beneficial.

Whether you’re wearing socks to bed to sleep or, um, not sleep, there are benefits either way. Pairing socks with your PJs just got a whole lot cooler.

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