28 Sep Off with your Bra!
OK ladies, next time you’re crawling into bed it’s off with that bra! As tempted as you may be to leave it on after a long tiring day, removing it will make a significant difference on your health in more ways than one.
Common myths would have you believe that sleeping in your bra will help to keep your breasts perky…Forget it! Wearing a bra (the purpose of which is ultimately to support breasts from below) is essentially redundant in bed, as breasts naturally compress back down onto the chest. A tight bra in fact may restrict the flow of lymph to the many important lymph nodes around the breast and armpit, hindering the system’s vital function of flushing toxic waste-products from the body.
Wearing a constrictive bra to sleep can affect the physiology of the breast. It can impair the blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which, at worst, can lead to chronic inflammation, oedema (fluid retention) and discomfort.
So if you think wearing a bra to bed is helping your breasts it’s time to realise you could actually be doing more damage than good. Here are a few more reasons why you shouldn’t wear a bra whilst sleeping.
Circulation is one of the main things that suffer when you sleep in your bra, particularly if the bra is underwire. If the wire is too tight against your skin, your pectoral muscles will be constricted, affecting the circulation of nerves in your arms. In addition, a bra with tight compression like a sports bra can hurt breast tissue if worn too often because of constantly restricted circulation.
Skin irritation is another significant side-effect of wearing an ill-fitting bra to bed. The hooks can protrude into your skin, as well as the straps, that can actually cause lesions or even cysts if left for too long (particularly if the bra is underwire). You may not even notice the slight pain during the night.
Restlessness due to skin irritation can prevent you entering into a deep sleep. This phase of sleep is extremely important for memory consolidation
Hyperpigmentation can also occur due to straps and hooks that are too tight and in constant contact with the skin, causing darkening of that particular area.
Breast fungus is an additional ramification of wearing an ill-fitting bra to bed regularly. The warm and moist environment can be a breeding ground for fungi, and because the majority of woman spend most of their lives wearing a bra (that typically do not fit properly to begin with), the development of a breast fungus can be likely. Taking the small step to remove the bra at night, particularly if you live in a hot climate and have a larger bust size, can greatly reduce your chances of allowing fungi to grow.
So ladies, to avoid these unpleasant factors, let your skin breathe for at least part of the day and keep your bra out of your bed.