Anyone who needs to wear compression stockings, whether to ease leg discomfort, prevent circulatory problems, or recover from surgery wonders if they can sleep in compression stockings.
The answer is: it will depend on your case. When the person is lying down, the compression can have the opposite effect and impede blood flow, so in most cases wearing compression stockings to sleep is not recommended.
Compression stockings are divided into classes: soft compression, medium compression, high compression and very high compression. Each type is indicated for a specific problem. Usually the cases in which the person can sleep with this type of stocking are thrombosis and after certain surgical procedures.
It is important to remember that for those who need to wear compression stockings is to stay with them at all times, except precisely when you are sleeping, so you should only use compression stockings while sleeping when it is. This is medical advice, never do it without asking the doctor.
Why can't you sleep with a compression stocking?
The force of gravity is the big bad for circulatory problems when we are standing. When we are lying down, this force does not act in the same way and the blood can circulate throughout the body without major difficulty. Therefore, it becomes completely useless while sleeping.
Additionally, its squeezing function can have the opposite effect and prevent blood from reaching the legs properly.
Understand how compression stockings work
Compression stockings aim to promote blood circulation in the legs. Bottom compression works by drawing blood back up to the lower extremities. It is common for some of this blood to have difficulty returning to the heart and to travel very slowly through certain blood vessels.
This obstruction is due to the force of gravity which, while helping the blood to descend to the legs, makes it difficult to ascend. This is why compression stockings are so suitable for those who spend many hours on their feet or sitting, such as security guards, salespeople and almost anyone who works in an office.
Exceptions where they are recommended for sleeping
Although the general recommendation is not to wear compression stockings while sleeping, some doctors may sometimes recommend this treatment. And they will occur in two main cases: in the post-surgical period, to avoid thrombosis, and in cases where the person already has thrombosis and needs to lie down for a long time.
Thrombosis results from blood clotting at some point in the venous system of the legs. People who have just had surgery, especially on the lower extremities, are more at risk of forming these clots. Compression stockings help both prevent and treat these clots.
Do not sleep in compression stockings unless your doctor recommends it.
Although you now know that in some cases it is recommended to sleep in compression stockings, do so only on medical advice. Compression stockings are very important in treating and preventing circulation problems. But if used improperly, they can harm your leg health.
