A doctor has revealed that ignoring a certain part of your body might be the reason you’re having trouble sleeping. Lack of sleep can have serious impacts, from decreased focus at work to affecting your overall health.
With winter temperatures dropping, it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain a regular sleep schedule. However, there might be an unexpected factor hindering your ability to sleep, regardless of how exhausted you are.
Nightwear brand Pretty You London, along with biomedical scientist Dr Gareth Nye, shed light on a straightforward method that could improve your sleep quality. While you might assume it’s related to your sleeping position, that’s not the case here.
The issue actually concerns the temperature of your feet. If you’re someone whose feet are always cold, it could significantly impact your ability to relax at night. Dr Nye points out that cold feet cause your body to retain heat instead of releasing it, hindering the natural cooling process necessary for sleep.
He explained that cold feet can put your body into alert mode. When your feet are cold, blood vessels constrict to preserve heat for vital organs. This prevents the core temperature from cooling down, which is a signal for bedtime. In essence, cold feet trick your body into staying awake.
As a lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Salford, Dr Nye suggests that keeping your feet warm throughout the night could be an effective strategy to fall asleep more quickly and maintain restful sleep.
There are several methods to ensure your feet stay warm.
One suggestion is to wear socks, indulge in a warm foot bath, or use a heating pad to help you fall asleep faster and remain asleep longer. A 2018 study found that people who wore socks fell asleep about 7.5 minutes quicker, slept 32 minutes longer, and woke up less frequently compared to those who didn’t wear socks.
Dr Nye explains that warming your feet causes the blood vessels to widen, facilitating heat transfer from your core to your extremities. This process lowers your core body temperature, a crucial signal for initiating sleep. Warm feet also provide a calming effect and reduce stress, aiding relaxation.
While wearing socks to bed might not be appealing to everyone, the choice of fabric can make a difference. Phoebe Street, brand marketing manager and sleep expert at Pretty You London, recommends natural materials like cashmere and bamboo for both socks and pyjamas.
She mentioned that these fabrics are breathable and help regulate temperature, preventing overheating during the night. Dr Nye agrees, noting that wearing socks to bed can boost circulation and help regulate body temperature. However, avoiding tight or restrictive socks is important as they can impair blood flow.
Maintaining warm feet and keeping your bedroom cool, ideally between 60 and 64 F (16 and 18 C), can significantly improve sleep quality. This combination helps your core temperature drop while keeping you comfortable, creating the ideal conditions for better sleep.