Some people are thriving with the clock change. One person on our team is going to bed an hour and a half earlier every night, waking up before her alarm and feeling more refreshed. She took steps before the time change to have it not impact her and, through a proper bedtime routine, has started getting a much better night’s sleep.

Most of us aren’t in the same boat as our teammate! You might be over the time change. Or you might still be struggling with it. As sleep schedules are always a struggle, we want to talk about a tip that has been getting attention. Sleeping in socks has been a hot topic since a viral TikTok video starring Dr. Jess Andrade suggested it.

Dr. Andrade said, “Wearing socks in bed makes your feet warm, which opens up the blood vessels that cool the body down. The body being cool tells the body that it’s time for bed. People who wear socks to bed fall asleep faster.”

While having cold feet can keep you awake, or wake you up, having warm feet helps you drift off faster. When your feet are warm, they cause distal vasodilation, increased blood flow in your feet and reduced core body temperature.  

Additionally, wearing socks can mitigate problems that could keep you awake. Raynaud’s syndrome is a condition that impacts blood vessels in the fingers and toes and can lower circulation and make skin cold. Socks can prevent flare-ups. They can also limit hot flashes for people going through menopause. Having a high core temperature can cause a hot flash. Socks in bed keep your core temperature lower and can stave off spikes. Research suggests that warming feet 20 minutes before bed and wearing socks to sleep can reduce insomnia.

The perfect temperature for your bedroom hovers between 65- and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. It varies for men and women. Men prefer a colder room to women because they have a higher metabolic rate. If you are in a warm bedroom, socks may not help you fall asleep — they could make you too hot.  

There are a few other reasons not to sleep in socks. If you have circulatory problems, swelling in your feet or concerns about blood flow, socks in bed might not be suitable for you. If you have any issues, you should speak to your doctor before wearing socks to bed. It might seem too small of a habit to talk to a medical professional about. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to circulatory health!

If wearing socks in bed isn’t for you, there are other options! Try wearing slippers before bed and adding a fuzzy blanket to the foot of your bed. Take a warm foot bath prior to bedtime. Or add a heating pad to the foot of your bed. These could become relaxing, comforting trappings of the evening that help you drift off quickly and stay asleep longer.

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