Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Is sleeping with your socks on safe? Here’s what experts say

Sleeping with your socks on can cause health issues including a rise in blood pressure.

Is sleeping with your socks on safe? Here’s what experts say

We all like to snuggle in bed with our feet feeling warm and cosy. Additionally, many of us believe that sleeping with socks on will help to keep us warm through the night. However, some experts are of the opinion that wearing socks overnight is not healthy, may disrupt our sleep pattern, and influence our heart rate as well.

Besides, experts warn that many people wear tight socks and this can lead to skin rashes and infection.


Speaking about the harmful effects of wearing tight socks, Dr Viswesvaran Balasubramanian, Consultant, Interventional Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, India told the Indian Express, “Wearing very tight socks can impair blood circulation and can be detrimental. Additionally, not ensuring proper hygiene of socks can result in adverse consequences.”

Agreeing, Dr Aditya S Chowti, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Bangalore, India reportedly said that if the socks are not clean or if they happen to be tight, “There may be an increased risk of skin infection, especially if the socks used are made of synthetic material like nylon. Body temperature can rise due to excessive use of socks.”

According to the site Better Sleep, even though sleeping with your socks on can help to improve circulation, if your socks you wear to bed are too constrictive and tight, it could cause a decrease in blood flow. And if the socks are not made with breathable material, it could prevent the release of heat from your body.

Also, sleeping with socks on is not a good idea, especially if you suffer from circulatory issues, swelling of the feet, or any other issue that may affect the blood flow to your extremities.

An earlier report in Health Shots informs that sleeping with your socks on can cause health issues, including a rise in blood pressure.

Dr Pritam Moon, consultant physician at Wockhardt hospital, Mumbai, India is of the opinion that though wearing socks while sleeping increases blood circulation, it can reportedly go another way too.

Apparently, if you keep your socks on for a prolonged period like going to bed in them, blood flow will decrease, thereby causing a rise in blood pressure.

Also, wearing tight socks to bed can prove to be uncomfortable, leading to disturbed sleep.

Dr Moon is also quoted as saying, “If your skin is sensitive, ask your doctor whether you should wear socks to bed or not. Doing so might cause skin irritation if you wear the wrong kind of socks.”

Citing another reason why wearing socks to bed is not optimal, Dr Balasubramanian adds, “People with abrasions or open wounds in the legs or those with problems with blood circulation like arterial or venous disorders of the lower limb are not advised to wear.”

Here are some other helpful ways to keep your feet warm:

• Massage your feet with hot oil.

• Wash your feet with warm water and keep them warm inside a blanket.

• Use a hot water bottle - once your feet are warm enough, remove it.

• Wear a very warm pair of socks an hour before sleeping and take them off before getting into bed.

• Avoid smoking as nicotine in cigarettes tightens the blood arteries due to which less blood reaches your extremities, making your feet cold.

Overall, wearing socks to bed is perfectly normal and may also help one to sleep better. “However, either way, is fine depending on how you feel,” states Dr R R Dutta, HOD Internal Medicine, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram, India.

More For You

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

Prince Harry criticised tech companies for citing privacy laws to deny access

Getty

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for stronger protections for children online, warning that not enough is being done to shield young people from the dangers of social media

During a visit to New York, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled a new memorial dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful online content contributed to their deaths. The installation, named the Lost Screen Memorial, features 50 smartphones, each displaying an image of a child lost to what their families describe as the adverse effects of social media. The memorial was made available to the public for 24 hours.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

Afghan refugees arrive at a camp near the Torkham border last Sunday (20)

Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

MORE than 100,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the past three weeks, the interior ministry said on Tuesday (22), after Islamabad announced the cancellation of residence permits.

Calling Afghans “terrorists and criminals”, the Pakistan government launched its mass eviction campaign on April 1. Analysts said the expulsions are designed to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, which Islamabad blames for fuelling a rise in border attacks.

Keep ReadingShow less
Government announces funding for offshore wind supply chains

Energy secretary Ed Miliband reads a letter from Britain's King Charles III during the Future of Energy Security Summit at Lancaster House on April 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Government announces funding for offshore wind supply chains

THE government has announced an initial £300 million investment to strengthen domestic offshore wind supply chains ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The funding will be distributed through Great British Energy, the country's publicly-owned clean energy company.

Prime minister Keir Starmer on Thursday (24) said the investment aims to support jobs and help the UK reach clean power by 2030.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-pahalgam-getty

'I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,' Modi said in his first speech since the incident.

Getty Images

Modi vows to hunt Kashmir attackers ‘to the ends of the Earth’

INDIA and Pakistan have exchanged a series of diplomatic measures after prime minister Narendra Modi blamed Pakistan for a deadly shooting in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.

Modi said India would identify and punish those behind the attack and accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Trump also announced an initiative on historically black colleges and universities and signed orders on AI education and workforce development.

Getty Images

Trump signs orders targeting university diversity policies and accreditation

DONALD TRUMP signed a set of executive orders on Wednesday aimed at US universities, focusing on foreign donations, college accreditation, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

One order directs the federal government to enforce existing laws requiring universities to disclose large foreign gifts. Another addresses accreditation, which Trump has described as a “secret weapon.”

Keep ReadingShow less