Will Sleeping Without A Bra Cause Sagging?

You’ve heard of ‘em all; under-wired, push-up, strapless, padded, sports, and bralettes. All wonderful for different people and for many different reasons. But can wearing one of these to sleep actually help prevent your breasts from sagging? Let’s discuss this a little deeper…

I’m sure you’ve heard of the age-old tale that if you wear a bra to sleep every night it will prevent your breasts from sagging over time.

Heck, even Halle Berry and Marilyn Monroe have admitted that by wearing a bra to sleep every night it has kept ‘em perky. If it works (worked) for two of the most beautiful and iconic women in show biz, it should work for others too… Right?

Well, no matter shape or size, big or small, all breasts will most likely succumb to sagging eventually. There’s no actual proven evidence that wearing a bra to sleep will prevent them from sagging.

So then why do so many people (including celebrities) swear by this old wive’s tale and believe that it works for them?

It’s important to know the actual cause of why your breasts sag in the first place.

why your breasts sag

The ligaments in your breasts, also known as the fibrocollagenous septa or Cooper’s ligaments, help to shape and support the breasts. Over time, these ligaments (like any other collagenous ligaments in our body) stretch and lose elasticity – therefore, causing them to sag.

But why do some people, who have breasts, have saggy boobs by the age of 25?

There are so many other factors as to why breasts can sag or droop. Genetics, weight fluctuation, smoking, and pregnancy are all mean contributors. And I say mean with emphasis.

For most, you wear a bra to keep your breasts protected and supported. Wearing a bra also helps bypass gravity’s natural way of pulling and weighing them down to your toes. This is especially true when we work out or exercise.

Because of the consistency of gravity, you will naturally see sagging across your entire body in the long term. This is also why we see wrinkles and saggy skin around the age of 50. Sorry, folks.

Are there any upsides to wearing a bra to sleep?

The idea and design behind wearing a bra in the first place are to support them vertically – (again) from gravity. Whereas when you are sleeping at night, you need more horizontal support. And when you think about lying down for bed – depending on the way you sleep – your breasts tend to pull back towards your chest and can sway left and right, rather than up and down.

But believe it or not, there are some benefits to wearing your bra while sleeping.

Comfort.

For some people, (specifically larger-breasted people) wearing a bra may be the most important part of their sleep routine. Because a bra can alleviate breast pain and movement while sleeping, it is more comfortable for them than not wearing one at all.

This can also be true for women who breastfeed and women going through hormonal changes in the body. Because the breasts tend to be larger in size and are often tender and very swollen, wearing a bra to sleep can help with any discomfort and therefore relieve pressure while lying down.

Preventing stretch marks.

Stretching and strain are major causes of stretch marks on the breast skin and surrounding areas. It’s likely that wearing a bra while sleeping may prevent this strenuous force on the breast tissues.

Taking care of your nipples!

Yes, wearing a bra to sleep can help prevent nipple problems.

Have you ever experienced your nipples feeling dry and slightly painful? This could be a result of chafing. Chafing is caused by wearing loose-fitting shirts and/or your nipples rubbing around on your bed sheets. Wear a bra to bed and you might be able to prevent this situation in the future.

Some people just feel a bra is like their second skin.

They spend all day and all night in it. Working, exercising, and going out to paint the town. Sometimes, we even forget we have them on!

A bra, to some, is typically just another piece of clothing.

Downsides of wearing a bra to sleep.

Did you know, there actually are medical reasons why you shouldn’t wear a bra to bed?

Wearing the wrong-sized bra.

Studies show that about 80% of people with breasts are wearing the wrong bra size. That’s 8 in 10 people with breasts! Can you believe that? You, reading this right now, might be one of these people and are probably wearing the wrong-sized bra at this very moment.

Your bra is too tight

The anatomy of your breasts is very intricate. The blood vessels, muscles, and lymph nodes surrounding them may experience a restricted blood flow from a bra that is just too tight. This can prevent your system’s vital function from being able to flush out toxic waste from your body.

It’s just uncomfortable.

For a lot of us, wearing a bra to bed would more or less just be super uncomfortable. All those tight straps and wires are hard to wear just even during the day.

The Long And Short…

https://youtu.be/hUs6kWYUHfE

Bra or not, there are a lot of factors to why breasts sag – and this will most likely happen for everyone – but not wearing a bra to sleep is not one of them. Medically and physically, it’s probably not the best thing to sleep with one on anyway – especially since most of us are not wearing our correct size. And though there is no evidence that sleeping with a bra will prevent sagging over time, some feel it is beneficial to them.

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