Here's Why You're Probably Better Off Sleeping Commando Than In A Thong

With the right attitude, you can do just about anything in a thong. Yes, thongs have a tendency to ride up your butt and park themselves there, but they also have the benefit of no VPL, and TBH, they're just freaking cute. Personally, I've gotten so used to wearing thongs in clingier dresses and the like that it feels like I'm not wearing anything at all. Heck, I even once wore one during a hike without complaints. That being said, just because you can do anything in a thong, doesn't necessarily mean you should. Can you sleep in a thong, for example? Is wearing a piece of stringy cloth that so easily rides all the way up into your lady parts really a good idea for your nightly snooze?

While there's no totally definitive answer to this question, there are definitely some solid reasons why you should spare a minute to consider what you're wearing down there during your slumber, and it's all in the name of vaginal breathing.

First of all, if you're going to wear undies to bed, they should be cotton — none of that lacy, polyester-blend stuff.

Overall, sleeping commando is probably the best way to give your nether regions some breathing room and a much-needed opportunity to cool off.

Ronald Blatt, OB/GYN and chief surgeon and medical director of the Manhattan Center for Vaginal Surgery, told Vice,

The vagina certainly does need to breathe and that can be accomplished by sleeping without underwear.

This will cool you down, air you out, and may prevent yeast infections which usually happen in moist, and warm areas of the body.

But if you think wearing a thong to bed will more or less be the same as going commando for your snooze, think again.

Thongs in particular are more of a meh choice when it comes to sleep because of how, you know, all up in your stuff they can get. While other types of underwear might simply make it a bit harder for moisture and breathability during the night, thongs err more on the side of actual strangulation down there.

Thongs also make it easier for bacteria to move back and forth between your butt and your vag.

Blatt told Vice,

The thin piece of material of the thong moves around as you naturally position yourself while asleep and it could possibly transfer bacteria from anus to vagina or urethra. This may cause infection.

And because many thongs are not made of 100 percent cotton, the lack of breathability makes it all the easier for moisture to build and potentially cause infection.

However, it's worth noting here that if your vagina is in relatively healthy working order and not particularly sensitive, you probably will be just fine wearing one to bed, or whenever, for that matter. Dr. Jill M. Rabin, an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, told the Huffington Post of ye olde pieces of butt floss:

If somebody's healthy, there aren't really any dangers. The issue is if you have a predisposition to getting infections, either urinary or vaginal, it may be harder to get rid of it if you're wearing a thong.

While I'm sure you'll survive in a thong, be it during slumber or daytime, again, just to be totally safe and infection-free, you're better off going commando or cotton whenever you can. Remember, too, that when it comes to your undies, not only should the crotch be 100 percent cotton, but the whole gosh darn thing should be made of the stuff.

If the outside of the crotch is, instead, nylon, for example, it's probably going to have some impact on the breathability of the underwear as a whole.

Stretch Cotton High Leg Bikini, $8, Gap

I'm personally a fan of these bad boys from Gap. Yeah, they're a little granny-panty-esque, but they're super comfy, and they never feel like they're suffocating me down there.

And when I'm feeling some fancy cotton, I'm all about these colorful little guys:

Pansy High Rise in Rust, $42, Need Supply Co.

But really, I say, if you can swing it, go commando. Heck, go full nude at night if you can tolerate the cold. Your vagina will enjoy the cool breeze.