Sleeping With Socks On Isn't Actually As Weird As You Think It Is & Here's Why

OK friends, let’s talk about the stigma surrounding people who wear socks to bed, because I really don’t understand the hate here. From what I’ve gathered over the years, a strong majority says sleeping with socks is generally gross, and leads to dirty sheets and feet stank in the morning. It’s one thing if you personally believe the behavior is nasty, but is it bad to sleep with socks on? Experts say if your feet are freezing when you're trying to snooze, sock ‘em up.

Personally, I’ve always worn socks to bed, and the only inconvenience I’ve ever encountered has been the inevitable pile-up of mismatched pairs making obvious lumps under the covers by the end of the week. My hands and feet are always cold, so I find it extremely comforting to fall asleep with socks on (even though I almost always wake up with them no longer on my feet). If anything, they serve their purpose of keeping my soles warm and cozy as I wind down for the night.

Still, people can’t seem to get behind snuggling up under clean sheets with potentially dirty socks polluting their sleep space. Like anything else, sleeping with socks on definitely boils down to personal preference, but this is one behavior people seem to have really strong opinions about.

Reddit users definitely have some feelings about sleeping with socks on.

It all started with a simple question: Reddit user Und3adBoss24 asked, "Why do some people think sleeping with socks on is gross?" The thread eventually tallied up several comments, most of which were strongly against this bedtime behavior.

Reddit user mysterioustapeworms expressed his disgust about sleeping with socks by backing up his claim with a bit of, um, historical context:

Michelangelo wore his socks all the time, and when he took them off a thick crusty layer of dead skin would come with them. I just wanted to tell you that.

User Whitesnowbird1 said that, for him, sleeping with socks on isn't as gross as it is painful:

Being a somewhat hairy guy, this is very unpleasant. The socks will pull the hair on the top of my feet and they will literally hurt the next day. This same thing happens if I tie my shoes too tight and wear them all day, it's annoying.

Meanwhile, Reddit user otterbry said it's an issue of hygiene:

Socks keep your feet clean when you walk around your house. All that house funk (even if you live in a sparkling clean palace) is in your socks. If you take the socks off, you sleep in clean sheets. If you leave them on, you bring all that filth into the bed.

And, clearly, Twitter isn't about that life either.

But haters need to back off, because sleeping with socks on could enhance the quality of your sleep.

I know this news might come off as nails-on-a-chalkboard cringe-worthy for some of you to hear, but according to the National Sleep Foundation, slipping into a fuzzy pair of socks before bed is actually one of the easiest ways to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Here's how it works: Warming the soles of your feet stimulates vasodilation, which is the dilation of blood vessels. This encourages the brain to open blood vessels in the hands and feet, which encourages heat to be evenly distributed throughout the entire body.

Studies show that, ideally, your bedroom temperatures should fall somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for the best night's sleep. But the human body temperature depends on two things: its core temperature, which is controlled by the brain, and your shell temperature, which is influenced by external temperatures.

According to Natalie Dautovitch, professor of chronopsychology, our feet "contain blood vessels called the arteriovenous anastomoses, which — coupled with the lack of hair on the bottoms of your feet — are perfectly designed to help dissipate body heat."

In other words, if you're someone who literally gets cold feet at night, socks can help your soles find the middle ground, which can make your body feel more at ease when drifting off to sleep.

There's even a chance wearing socks to sleep could boost your libido.

Just a little FYI for those of you who think wearing socks to bed isn't exactly "sexy," Medical Daily reports slipping on a pair before heading to bed with your partner is a major libido-booster.

According to a 2011 study performed by the University of Grongen in the Netherlands that assessed the difference between male and female orgasms, it was shown that 80 percent of women who wore socks in the bedroom reached orgasm, compared to 50 percent of those who did the deed barefoot.

So, not only will sleeping with socks on regulate your body heat, it can also get you in the mood. Bottom line: Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, folks.