For most women, a bra is a necessity during the day. However, removing this undergarment when the day ends is a huge relief. Wearing a bra in bed is uncomfortable, so it’s better to sleep braless.
Removing your bra before bed will lead to significantly more comfortable sleep. You’ll feel less inhibited and won’t experience any digging from jagged straps and underwires.
You’ll sweat less, reduce the risk of skin issues or infections, and breathe more easily. Also, removing a bra improves circulation, so you’ll feel refreshed and revitalized in the morning.
Many women wonder if it’s OK not to wear a bra when sleeping. The answer is an unqualified yes. Once you realize the benefits of sleeping without a bra, you’re unlikely to look back.
I Don’t Like Sleeping Without A Bra
Ask yourself why you’re still reluctant to remove your bra before bed. Many myths have been perpetuated about sleeping braless over the years. Let’s do a quick Q&A on these unhelpful claims:
- Will my breasts sag if I don’t wear a bra in bed? This claim, popularized by Marilyn Monroe, has no basis in medical science. Gravity takes its course as we age, regardless of our bedtime attire.
- Does sleeping without a bra increase breast size? Sleeping with a bra on causes swelling, likely increasing breast size slightly. However, the effects will only be temporary.
- Will wearing a bra overnight reduce the risk of breast cancer? As per the World Journal of Meta-Analysis, there’s no link between the length of time wearing a bra and breast cancer diagnoses.
There are advantages to wearing a bra overnight. If you sleep sounder wearing a bra, consider a wireless type, which will provide superior comfort and some benefits of going braless.
Why Should You Take Your Bra Off at Night?
Let’s review the many and varied benefits of sleeping braless:
Superior Comfort
Removing a bra at the end of a long day can be liberating, so you’ll feel more relaxed. This relaxation means you’re likelier to enjoy prolonged, quality sleep and feel better in the morning.
You may achieve this sense of zen and comfort with your bra still on. However, many women find a bra restrictive and uncomfortable, at least to some extent. Removing a bra provides respite.
Better Respiration
We know how important breathing is, but you may not realize it’s more difficult to breathe when asleep. A horizontal position restricts the airways, making it harder for air to reach the lungs.
Struggling to access air at night leads to snoring, sleep apnea, and other long-term respiratory issues. This is called sleep-disordered breathing.
Tight clothing, including bras (especially poorly fitted garments), will only amplify the problem.
The Annals of Internal Medicine stated that sleep-disordered breathing can have negative life repercussions, including social isolation and divorce.
Thankfully, something as simple as removing a bra at bedtime may resolve this critical issue.
Lymph Nodes Can Breathe
Lymphatic nodes are found in various body parts, including the armpits.
Anybody wearing a bra realizes the pressure straps exert on the underarm area, which is why taking off a bra at night is so relaxing.
Lymph nodes contain blood vessels and glands via which the body releases bacterial toxins. If toxins aren’t removed, they’ll accumulate, leading to swollen skin on the breasts.
We mentioned that sleeping with a bra on can grow your breasts because the fabric doesn’t provide the opportunity to drain the lymph nodes. This size increase isn’t permanent and will likely be painful.
Superior Circulation
A bra is usually a tight fit, constricting blood circulation. That’s not just a design intended to torture women – it’s to provide superior support and hold the breasts securely in place.
Overnight, there’s no need to keep the breasts in position, allowing the body to enjoy a break and recover from these constraints.
By taking off your bra while you sleep, your circulation will improve. This will relieve health concerns associated with restricted blood flow, like cramps, low body temperature, and varicose veins.
Improved Skin Health
Sleep is a time for the skin to recover. If you get a good night’s sleep, the skin will glow in the morning, and taking off your bra makes this even likelier.
It’ll reduce the chances of bacterial and fungal infections, which often occur when the skin is damp and moist. Keeping your bra on overnight creates a hospitable environment for fungus and bacteria.
Sleep also gives the skin several hours to recover from bra compression. Push a thumb into your skin, and you’ll notice that the skin indents before returning to its original position.
Fewer Bruises And Injuries
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered how you sustained bruises? Well, it may be that a bra is to blame. The garment is digging into your flesh, causing discomfort and even injury.
Removing a bra at night leaves less time to cause harm. Overnight is when you’re likeliest to be hurt or injured by a bra. If you’re tossing and turning, wires and straps can loosen and become entangled.
If a snapped bra wire has ever stabbed your skin, you’ll know it’s painful.
Keep your bra off at night to minimize the risk of injury. Less damage, washing, and wearing a bra less means the garment will last longer, saving money on replacements.
Consistent Breast Size
The breasts become reliant on being forced into a bra and can’t return to their natural shape. This means they could become swollen or sag, but taking a break from a bra makes this less likely.
In addition, the constant wearing of a bra reduces the strength of the chest muscles. Essentially, the body allows the bra to do the work of maintaining breast shape.
Temperature Regulation
Maintaining an appropriate core temperature is vital for sleep. If you can do so naturally, like staying cool without relying on air conditioning, that’s recommended.
Removing a bra (or even sleeping without clothes) can help keep you cool. The absence of tight clothing on the body will prevent you from getting too warm.
You’ll sweat less, leading to less bed linen to wash, superior comfort, and fewer health conditions.
Bras Last Longer
Whether buying undergarments or lingerie, perfect-fitting bras are rare. According to Ergonomics, this means many women wear bras that are the wrong size.
When you find a bra that fits like a glove, you should take care of it. Removing a bra before sleep means it’ll experience less wear and tear, especially the underwires, which can break with overuse.
Bonding Exercise
Removing a bra, like sleeping naked, will bolster your confidence. This goes double if you’re sleeping beside a partner, as it’ll make you feel more wanted and desirable.
Skin-on-skin contact with a partner can increase the release of hormones, strengthening your relationship. Just getting more oxytocin may be enough to leave you both feeling great.
Sleeping in a bra hinders the body, so remove yours before bedtime to feel significantly better.
