Brits are spreading faeces on their bedsheets by wearing socks, study finds

Many Brits are going to bed wearing socks that show signs of faecal droppings, meaning they are transferring bacteria onto their sheets, concerning research has revealed.

As part of their study, MattressNextDay swabbed different people’s socks that were worn all day – from 7am to 11pm. Each participant wore the same socks whilst taking part in their everyday routine, from wearing shoes to working out.

After analysing the swabs, researchers found that half of the socks featured the same bacteria that can be found on cockroaches and their faecal droppings, known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The bacteria test analysis added: “This bacterial pathogen causes mainly opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals.

“It typically infects the airway and urinary tract, and causes infection of the lungs. It can easily spread on tools that get contaminated and are not properly cleaned.”

The researchers also swabbed a doormat and a TV remote to compare the bacteria found on these hotspots.

The test results confirmed that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the socks and the doormat were the same, suggesting that they are just as dirty as each other.

Previous studies have claimed that the remote is dirtier than a toilet seat, but the swab results indicate that your feet warmers could be worse – the bacteria was only detected on the socks and the doormat, and not the remotes swabbed.

What’s more, higher levels of faecal streptococci were found on one of the pairs of socks.

Researchers also conducted a poll on Reddit of 1,017 people and found that only 30 percent of people change their socks when they hit the hay, which implies the majority of people are spreading bacteria to an area where they spend a third of their life.

While there are many benefits of wearing socks to bed, health experts urge people to put on a fresh pair before falling asleep.

It is also recommended that you wash all socks and underwear at 60 degrees to kill any bacteria and viruses, or else they could spread.

What are the benefits of wearing socks to bed?

Donning a pair of fresh socks while you drift off to sleep can benefit you in a number of ways, such as:

1. You’re less likely to get hot flushes or night sweats

Your circadian rhythm – the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle – also affects your body temperature, which drops during the night.

According to Medical News Today, wearing socks in bed increases blood flow to feet and heat loss through the skin, which lowers core body temperature – helping a person get to sleep faster.

1. You’re less likely to wake up in the middle of the night

A study found that for those who wear socks to bed, the number of awakenings during the night was 7.5 times lower than the group without socks.

1. You’ll sleep for around 32 minutes longer, too

The same study also revealed that those who wore socks to bed slept for an average of 32 minutes more. This is because wearing socks and warming your feet stops the cold air from escaping and regulates the body’s core temperature.

1. You’re more likely to orgasm whilst wearing socks

This is because socks can cause the blood vessels in your feet to dilate and improve blood flow, therefore, making it easier to climax.

A study by the University of Groningen confirmed this too, after finding that 80 percent of people were able to reach orgasm whilst wearing socks, compared to just 50 percent that could wear socks.

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