Yes, socks help you sleep better

ATLANTA - At a time many of us are running short on sleep, 

"It is so important. It is very important," says Dr. Chantale Branson, an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Morehouse School of Medicine. She adds we need to make sleep a priority.

"Your body, your mind, as a neurologist, needs that sleep."

If you are chronically short on sleep -- or consistently not getting the recommended seven to eight hours most adults need, Branson says it can undermine your memory, your mood, even your weight.

However, sometimes simple may help: a good pair of socks.

"Whatever you feel comfortable with. You just don't want them to be too tight, to be too small. And you want them to be a more natural type, cotton or something of that nature," says Dr. Branson.

So, why socks?

"Ideally, to have a good night's sleep, you want to have a set natural temperature, and the socks can help with that," says Dr. Branson.

By keeping your feet warm, you can help regulate your body temperature, especially as the temperatures begin to drop.

"Some people like just naturally to be in a colder environment. And if it gets even colder than that at night, all of a sudden they're waking up because they're feeling cold or shivering or things of that nature," she adds.

In a small 2018 study found wearing socks to bed when it’s cool, helped study volunteers fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up fewer times during the night, although the socks did not affect their core body temperature.

Studies show most people sleep best in a room temperature that hovers between about 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. But whether you like your bedroom cool or warmer, Branson says, you want to find a kind of consistent sweet spot on the thermometer. 

"If you can't control that then adding comfortable clothing can help you make sure that, when the temperature overnight in the room drops, you are not too cold."