Gaby
As strange as it may sound, wearing socks to bed could be the secret to falling asleep faster and enjoying a deeper sleep. Researchers claim this quirky trick works because our sleep systems and body temperature regulation are closely linked.
Professor Eus van Someren, head of the Sleep and Cognition department at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, told the Daily Mail: “The brain not only regulates body temperature but also reads skin temperature. It can interpret warm feet as a signal that it’s time to sleep.”
How Does It Work?
Our body temperature follows a daily rhythm: it begins to drop in the evening and reaches its lowest point around 4 a.m. This means that the best time for sleep is when body temperature decreases, noted Professor van Someren.
Typically, the body cools down before sleep by directing blood to the skin in a process called vasodilation, which warms the skin.
When a person puts on socks, the temperature of their skin rises, and the brain mistakenly perceives this as warming due to vasodilation, signaling that it’s time to fall asleep.
However, wearing socks also aids in falling asleep in a more unexpected way. As the skin warms, the brain’s temperature control system sends a signal to the body to release heat. Warm blood begins to flow to the veins closer to the skin’s surface.
This enhances vasodilation, increases blood flow to the skin, and lowers body temperature to a safe level. A study published in 2018 by researchers at Seoul National University found that wearing socks significantly improves sleep. Participants who wore socks to bed fell asleep an average of 7.5 minutes faster than those who didn’t and woke up less frequently during the night.
How to Maximize the Benefits of This Trick?
For this trick to work, it’s important to lower your body temperature as much as possible before sleep. Research on skin warming methods has shown that the best results occur when the feet are warmed about an hour before bedtime.
This means you should put on your socks before you actually get into bed to kickstart the cooling process earlier.
Scientists also believe that socks should be made of natural fibers, as they provide the best balance of breathability and warmth.
Additionally, keep your bedroom as cool as possible with a fan or air conditioning. Professor Bill Wisden, a sleep neurobiology expert at Imperial College London, noted: “Heat is like any intrusive stimulus, such as pain, noise, or vibration. It wakes you up. Even if the socks help you fall asleep, summer heat will wake you up.” Therefore, if it gets too hot during the night, simply take off your socks.
The increased vasodilation will last for some time, and the effect of cool air on your feet will further lower your temperature, helping you fall asleep faster and sleep soundly throughout the night.
What If Sleeping in Socks Is Uncomfortable?
For some, the idea of sleeping in socks during the summer may seem unappealing. If someone prefers to let their feet breathe, there’s another way to achieve the same effect.
The key is that any action aimed at raising skin temperature before sleep will produce the same vasodilation effect as wearing socks. Professor Wisden specifically recommends taking a hot shower or warm bath before bed, even if the evening is warm. Alternatively, you can simply soak your ankles in water heated to 104°F (40°C) for 20 minutes one to two hours before sleep. Ultimately, all of this increases the likelihood that a person will fall asleep faster.
