Use Hose When Your Toes Repose

(USA Today photo)

I never did this during my Hawaiian childhood, but cold winter nights on the Mainland--with the interior heat turned down to 60°F--encouraged me to wear socks to bed, which turns out to be a controversial choice:

an under-cover inquiry by The Wall Street Journal finds that socks-in-bed is dividing couples and the public square. Opponents physically recoil at the notion, and say people who snooze in socks can’t be trusted.

The emotional backlash is surprising, because science supports leaving the socks on:

A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that young men fell asleep 7.5 minutes faster, slept 32 minutes longer and woke up 7.5 times less often than those not wearing socks.

It might seem socks would make you too toasty. But counterintuitively, researchers say, socks help lower core temperatures, a process that assists sleep.

Chilly feet can raise the temperature by sending more blood, and heat, to core areas, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which explains: “So, what does adding in a fluffy pair of socks do? Those cuddly duds warm your feet, relaxing and widening blood vessels that constricted while cold. This improved blood circulation in your overall body helps release more heat through your skin.”

Comments:
1) Adapt to the circumstances. If your feet become uncomfortably warm, take the socks off.
2) Wear a clean pair to bed, preferably after showering or at least washing the feet.
3) The animus against socks probably stems from the days when men wore dark dress socks to work. Wearing the same pair to bed is the mark of an uncivilized person. If someone shares your bed, you have only yourself to blame for the long-term consequences.