Wearing Socks To Bed In Illinois’ Cold Weather: Healthy Or Not?

Sure, we're still enjoying some fairly decent temperatures at the moment, but within the next few days we'll start to get a taste of some really cold overnights, especially in Northern Illinois.

That means there will be more discussions with my wife about the topic of socks and bed...just like last year.

Last winter, when the temperatures were sub-zero and so were the wind chill readings, my wife Amy crawled into bed with me at the end of the day. As she pulled back the covers to get in, I noticed she was wearing some fuzzy pink socks.

Me: Really? I can't believe you're wearing socks to bed.

Amy: And I can't believe that you're not.

Me: Does wearing socks even do anything? Do you feel warmer? More comfortable? It seems kind of unnecessary, don't you think?

Amy: This coming from a guy who has his own electric blanket that he gave a stupid name to and keeps turned up to medium-high. Is that necessary?

Me: You and your stupid pink socks need to leave Mr. Heaty out of this! And yes, he's necessary and essential.

A Recent Survey On The Topic Of Wearing Socks To Bed Showed That 63 Percent Of Respondents Do Not Sleep With Socks On, While 18 Percent Do

19 percent told the survey takers that they weren't sure whether they wore socks to bed or not...which may indicate a drinking problem of some sort.

As for my wife Amy and me, put us down as a 50-50 couple. She'll wear socks to bed sometimes, and I never do. She does it to keep warm and sleep better, while I don't because...well...I don't really have a reason other than it feels weird to have socks on under the covers.

So, which one of us is doing things right?

It turns out that we both may be, because there are a couple of schools of thought when it comes to wearing socks to bed.

First, We'll Look At Some Reasons That Wearing Socks To Bed Is A Good Thing To Do

According to a piece at MentalFloss.com, one argument is that wearing those socks under the covers could actually have a surprisingly positive effect on the overall quality of your sleep.

The argument against is that even if socks do make for better beauty rest, they might not be so hygienic in other ways.

First, the pros:

• A better night's sleep because warm feet help lower core body temperature, which helps you fall asleep faster and sleep longer without interruptions.
• Reduction of hot-flashes and heat-spikes because of the reduction in core body temperature.
• Feet warmed by socks also lead to better blood circulation while you sleep.

Now, let's move on to no socks in bed.

It Appears That The Biggest Argument Against Wearing Socks To Bed Has To Do With Hygiene (Or The Lack Of It)

It can all be broken down to a single word: Bacteria. That's especially true if you wear the same socks to bed at night that you've worn all day long, according to researchers who tested socks that people had worn from 7am to 11pm.

MentalFloss.com:

Researchers found traces of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the socks, a type of bacteria often found in contaminated water but also in cockroach feces. This rather nasty form of bacteria can be resistant to antibiotics, and can lead to a host of unpleasant symptoms, including dermatitis and infections in the blood and lungs.

The socks you’ve spent the whole day in could be even dirtier than the remote control you use at home, which is worrying given that other recent lab testing from Good Housekeeping revealed that remote controls are often up to 20 times dirtier than a toilet seat.