Is it true that the dream in socks is useful?

It is popular with the belief that if you put on socks before going to bed, it will be easier to fall asleep, and the quality of sleep will improve. We decided to check if it is confirmed
Such a position by scientific data.

The statement that to sleep in socks is useful can be read not only on sleeping resourcesbut also in the Russian -speaking media of different countries, on Scientific and popular And sports sites, in female magazines And even on sites pharmacies. Some publications say that socks on the legs during sleep contribute to the correct thermoregulation and allow you to fall asleep faster, while in others - what they Fill the body Positive qi energy and improve blood circulation.

A qualitative dream plays a critical role for human health, providing not only physical restoration, but also mental well -being. During sleep is happening Restoration of cells and tissues. Deep sleep Promotes The development of somatotropin is a growth hormone that is responsible for renewing the body and regulation of metabolism. This is especially important for recovery after physical exertion and injuries.

In addition, quality sleep Strengthens immunity. During sleep, neurotransmitters and melatonin are produced, which Help The body to fight infections and cancer cells, and a lack of sleep reduces the body's defenses and makes it more vulnerable to diseases. Dream It is necessary Also for normal brain function. In the process of sleep, processing and sorting of information received per day, and this improves memory and ability to teach. Lack of sleep Maybe To lead to problems with attention, deterioration of the reaction and increasing the likelihood of errors in everyday life. Good sleep Improves The mood and reduces the level of stress, and the bad can lead to depression and anxious disorders. Dream reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and its deficiency can contribute to inflammatory processes in the body that Increases The risk of diabetes, stroke and other serious diseases. Also a dream influences on metabolism and level of leptin and ghrelin - hormones responsible for appetite. A lack of sleep can bring to increase weight due to a decrease in sensitivity to insulin and an increased level of cortisol.

The body is arranged in such a way that for falling asleep, body temperature must be reduced. It was easier to fall asleep, and the dream itself was stronger, Recommended Support the cool (15–19 ° C) air temperature in the bedroom. However, if the limbs are too cold, the body instinctively accelerates the blood flow throughout the body and its temperature increases significantly, and this rather harms falling asleep.

The socks, on the contrary, contribute to distal vasodilation, that is, relaxation of smooth muscles in the walls of blood vessels of the limbs. With relaxation of muscles in the legs increases The blood flow to them, and this helps to reduce the total body temperature. Thus, the body Gets The signal is time to sleep. This reduces the time of falling asleep and the number of night awakenings, that is, makes sleep more strong. 1999 study published in Nature magazine, showedthat the degree of expansion of blood vessels in the skin of the arms and legs, which increases heat loss in the limbs, is the best physiological predictor for a quick start of sleep. 

The study of South Korean scientists conducted in 2018, showedThat this extension can be achieved by putting on socks on your feet. Six healthy male volunteers participated in the experiment, who were covered with a special sensor worn on the wrist, alternately in socks or without. It turned out that at those nights when they wore socks, they needed for 7.5 minutes. Less to fall asleep. The total sleep time was an average of 32 minutes. More, the number of night awakenings decreased by 7.5 times, and the effectiveness of sleep (that is, the ratio of phases of deep and surface sleep) became 7.6% higher. There were no significant differences in the frequency of heart contractions, the temperature of the skin and their subjective assessments of sleep. The main restriction of the study was a too small sample.

Another experiment that studies the effect of the degree of expansion of the vessels of the legs on the speed of falling asleep, Spent Scientists from Taiwan. Their sample included 43 women with diagnosed gynecological cancer after chemotherapy, one of the common side effects from which are problems with falling asleep. The researchers proposed to arrange a warm bath (41–42 ° C) for the legs with a lasting 20 min. Participants in the experiment evaluated the quality of their sleep subjectively, answering questions about how much they slept they felt, whether they slept tightly, how strong fatigue felt during the day. In the group that made a foot bath before bedtime, the dream improved in all parameters, and the improvements occurred after the first procedure and became more and more pronounced with each next session (in total, women did such baths in parallel with chemotherapy courses for four courses). Improving sleep after a warm foot bath Demonstrated And another study, in which 15 elderly Taiwans, having problems with sleep, acted as volunteers.

Scientists from the Netherlands Institute of Neuronauk compared the effectiveness of sleeping warm baths for the legs, baths with a neutral temperature of water, socks with heating and ordinary socks. They divided the participants into two groups: up to 56 years and after 56 years; Also in each group there were people with and without insomnia. All participants under 56 years old helped to fall asleep faster any socks - both with heated and without. Participants over 56 years old, not suffering from insomnia, were helped either by ordinary socks, or warm foot baths that suffer from insomnia with older participants, none of the methods helped.

Under certain conditions, socks help not only fall asleep, but also reduce the number of night tides in menopause and reduce the symptoms in suffering Reino syndrome - In particular, the severity of spasms is predominantly small ending arteries and arterioles.

At the same time, a dream in socks it is forbidden Name suitable for any situation. Overheating of the legs along with high temperature in the bedroom itself can lead to frequent awakening. Also, this practice is not suitable for those who have problems with blood circulation or swell their legs. In addition, too tight socks can limit blood flow to the legs and feet. 

Thus, in order to fall asleep faster, distal vasodilation is really necessary - the expansion of the vessels of the limbs leading to the cooling of the body. This can be achieved, as by putting on socks at night, so having done a warm bath for the legs before going to bed. As studies show, socks help to fall asleep faster and improve the quality of sleep. Therefore, to put them before bedtime is rather useful if there are no special contraindications.

Body image: Image by Stocksnap from Pixabay

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