With the current hype about compression clothing, it’s not a surprise that one of the most asked questions regarding it is “Is it safe to sleep in compression clothing?” Sleep is one of the most important aspects of high-quality and healthy life; the better you sleep, the better your mood, cognitive functions, and overall performance as an athlete. If you’re healing from surgery or any other significant medical event, you also want to sleep well to accelerate your healing and get back to normal as fast as possible.
If you’d like to put on your compression clothing at night while you sleep, it’s perfectly safe. Still, before you obtain your compression wear to bed, here are a few aspects you want to have in mind:
It may help with sleep apnea.
Some studies are suggesting that compression wear may assist with sleep apnea. Since these items of clothing can remove excess fluid and reduce swelling, they can alleviate sleep apnea. This uncomfortable phenomenon is caused by the collapse of airways due to fluid collection in the neck, causing it to become heavier. If you’re using a CPAP machine, continue with it as you incorporate compression wear.
It will accelerate your recovery from exercise.
Research carried out at the Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, along with other universities, to examine the effects of sleeping in compression wear on recovery from exercise, supports the perceived benefits of compression wear for athletes as they sleep. The subjects carried out ten reps of ten tiring knee contractions exercises, with one group wearing compression wear and another without, and their muscle contractions measured before and after the exercises, and twenty-four hours later. The studies concluded that, indeed, wearing compression wear during sleep improves localized muscle recovery. They are also known to speed up the removal of lactic acid from muscles, thus accelerating recovery from heavy exercise.
What to avoid:
You probably want to sleep for at least seven hours, and that’s quite a while. Compression wear is tight, and if the items are too tight, you may cut off normal circulation to some muscles or your extremities. Don’t roll or fold the tops of your socks or stockings in a bid to shorten them as they will become dangerously tight.
Also, wear the tights correctly to ensure your comfort and avoid skin irritation due to excessively tight bands. Sleeping in compression wear can be rather uncomfortable, so you’re advised to shop here for a set that fits you perfectly. If you’re using compression wear for medical purposes, follow your doctor’s guidelines to the letter. You also want to be careful not to wear them for over 24 hours, especially if you’re not planning to be active and mobile. These tight items of clothing are more helpful in boosting circulation for active, mobile individuals by working against gravity. If you’re taking the day off to relax, there’s no gravity to work against, and your circulation will slow down.
