Why you should wear socks to bed. The science of wearing socks while sleeping.

Cold feet might be the reason behind your restless nights. When your feet are cold, they constrict the blood vessels and cause less blood to circulate. According to the National Sleep Foundation, warming your feet before you go to bed helps give your brain a clear sleep signal that it’s bedtime.

And the easiest way to warm your feet? Socks. Wearing socks in bed is the safest way to keep your feet warm overnight. Other methods such as rice socks, a hot water bottle, or a heating blanket may cause you to overheat or get burned.

Humans are endotherms. Unlike lizards, who need to bask in the sun to start their day, we are able to themoregulate ie we can maintain our own body temperature.

Thermoregulation is clever stuff (here’s an explainer) Essentially it ensures our vital organs are always operating at the optimal temperature. Anywhere outside the range 92.3 -104.9 F and you’ll be in serious trouble.. or dead.

One of the biggest body temperature changes throughout the 24 hour cycle happens whilst we sleep.

According to research, the ideal ambient temperature for your sleeping environment is between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. (15.5-19.4 degrees C)

So what has all this got to do with feet?

It turns out that your feet are perfect for regulating external temperature.

Other than helping your body stay warm, wearing socks at night also has extra benefits:

• Improve cracked heels: Wearing cotton socks after you moisturize can help keep your heels from drying out.

• Prevent hot flashes: Some women find wearing socks helpful for cooling their core body temperature.

• Increase potential orgasms: According to the BBC, researchers accidentally discovered that wearing socks increased participants’ ability to achieve an orgasm by 30 percent.

• Decrease chance of Raynaud’s attack: Raynaud’s disease is when affected areas of the skin, usually the toes and fingers, lose circulation and start to throb or swell. Wearing socks at night can help prevent an attack by keeping your feet warm and blood circulating.