One hell of a mood killer? Yeah, right: socks belong in bed!
7/11/2024
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
If you want to fall asleep faster, here’s a good trick: put on socks! It’s a proven fact that cold feet send the wrong signals to your body.
It's a good idea to keep the window open and let in some fresh air to get a healthy sleep. The drawback: in autumn and winter, air isn’t only fresh, but often cold. As a result, many get literal cold feet, even under a comforter. The simple solution? Put on socks. But this is seen as boring, and infamously, a mood killer.
Turns out, keeping your feet warm has amazing benefits for your health and well-being. Our body isn’t always the same temperature – it regulates itself in a 24-hour rhythm. In the evening, blood vessels in the hands and feet dilate to release heat. The signal: it’s time to go to bed.
My approach sounds contradictory at first, then. The body wants to lower its temperature, so feet that are already cold should work best, right? Turns out we aren’t that simple after all. In actuality, cold feet tend to keep the body tense and awake. It needs a natural cooling process that starts with warm feet.
The right socks help
The easiest way to keep your feet warm is to wear socks. But not every pair is suitable. Choose socks that aren’t too tight. Socks made of breathable materials such as cotton or merino wool are well suited. Like these, for example:
A definite no-go: wearing the same socks you’ve been donning all day. The 250,000 sweat glands you have on your feet combined with bacteria, viruses and dirt you pick up with your socks over the course of a day lead to a result that’s at best disgusting, at worst even hazardous to your health. A study commissioned by a British mattress manufacturer has shown that more bacteria live on socks worn throughout the day than can be found on a remote control. These include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, germs that can lead to respiratory diseases and skin rashes.
A bath for your feet
A foot bath is perfect for getting into bed with very clean feet. It promotes relaxation, loosens strained muscles, nurtures the skin and warms the feet. Fellow editor Natalie has tested three foot bubble baths if you’d like some inspiration.
Of course, a sufficiently large tub with warm water would also do the trick.
Socks for better sex?
Incidentally, here’s another false claim: clothes in bed quickly take the spice out of your sex life. This was also recently discussed in the comments under my post about sleeping naked. When it comes to socks, the University of Groningen has even come up with some surprising findings. They found that women had more orgasms when they wore socks during sex. The assumption was that warm feet promote relaxation, which in turn leads to better intimacy.
Do you also suffer from cold feet? How do you warm them up? Let me and the Community know in a comment.
Header image: Shutterstock
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.