Can You Sleep in Compression Socks? | Top Benefits

Yes, you can safely sleep in compression socks, but there are few advantages to doing so. Though they aid circulation while you’re up and moving around, moderate to firm compression socks can cause inflammation if you wear them at night. When you’re lying horizontal, your circulatory system no longer has to fight gravity, so extra pressure can disrupt circulation and cause tingling or numbness.

If you’re more comfortable wearing these socks to sleep, choose a pair that delivers low compression—no more than 15mmHg. Anything labeled 20 to 30 mmHg should only be worn during the day.

For those who are generally healthy, there are few advantages to sleeping in compression socks. Athletes and those who work on their feet all day get the most benefit from wearing them while they’re active, not at rest.

However, there are a few specific cases in which it’s okay to sleep in higher-pressure compression socks, including:

• Hospital staff napping between shifts
• Travelers sleeping upright on airplanes
• Recovery from leg or spinal surgery
• Conditions that affect circulation

One of the most common reasons individuals wear compression socks is to aid circulation. While standing or sitting, the light pressure from these socks helps blood circulate more smoothly and efficiently. When lying down or sleeping, there’s no need to work against gravity—so compression socks offer little to no benefit. 

However, graduated pressure from compression socks may help those with blood pressure conditions like orthostatic hypotension. This low blood pressure disorder causes dizziness or even fainting when individuals move from lying or sitting to standing. Compression socks increase blood flow and help alleviate this symptom. 

Individuals with venous conditions sometimes develop ulcers or sore spots due to a build-up of pressure inside the veins in their legs. Compression socks encourage better blood flow and protect tender areas from being chafed or bumped while sleeping. This combination of benefits helps the sores heal and prevents new ones from developing. 

Inflammation relief is one of the most common reasons people wear compression socks, especially while traveling. Sitting for long periods in a car, bus, or airplane can cause fluid to build up in your feet, ankles, and lower legs, resulting in uncomfortable swelling. Compression socks help keep the fluids flowing and significantly reduce inflammation. 

Though sleeping in low-pressure compression socks is generally safe, there are a few precautions you should take to protect your feet and legs. Wearing the same socks too much can cause problems, and you’ll need to stop wearing compression socks until you heal. 

Compression socks hug the leg more tightly than ordinary crew socks, which are pressed firmly against your skin while wearing them. Wearing the same socks for too long can lead to chafing that irritates the skin and causes raw areas or even sores. 

Areas at the most risk of rubbing and chafing include the ankles, the shin, and the area just under the sock cuff. Left untreated, these areas may even become infected.

The best way to prevent irritation and rubbing is to change your socks daily and bathe or shower frequently to remove built-up dirt and oil and shed skin cells. This allows your skin to breathe and reduces the likelihood of sores or infections.

Wearing the same socks day in and day out—whether compression socks or not—can cause bacteria and fungus to build up in the fabric. This build-up can cause infections like infected sores on your legs and athlete's foot between your toes. 

The best way to prevent this from happening is to change into fresh socks at least once every 24 hours and wash each pair before you wear them again. Regular cleaning rids the fabric of sweat, dirt, oil, and microbes that cause these infections.