Should You Wear a Bra When You Sleep?

For many women, wearing a bra is a necessity. For some women, they may not need to wear one all the time. Some women feel more comfortable wearing a bra all the time, including to bed, because they want the additional support. Over the years, it has been suggested that women who wear a bra to bed will avoid problems with sagging and drooping. Now, however, there is greater concern than that. Some women worry that wearing a bra to bed can cause breast cancer.

Purpose of a Bra

• Bras were created to support the breasts. They help to keep the breasts lifted and firm. Over the years, women and men have viewed ill-supported breasts as unattractive. Bras, although originally created for a purpose, have become more fashionable over the years. This may mean that many women will choose a bra according to how it looks, rather than how it fits or feels.

One Theory

• There have been a few questions in recent years over whether wearing a bra long term can cause breast cancer. One theory is that wearing certain types of bras--such as underwire bras--many hours a day can cause cancer. This theory was based on the idea that constricting bras worn for long hours constrict the lymphatic system, which is meant to filter toxins out of the body. If toxins cannot escape, they build up, especially in the breasts where the constriction occurs. The theory suggests this constriction can cause breast cancer to grow.

  Bras Worn to Bed

  • Other studies have shown that although the breasts do have a large amount of the lymphatic system running through them, the fluid flows up to the breast and out toward the armpit. This would prevent the toxins from settling into the breast tissue and getting trapped by the underwire.

    No study has ever proved conclusively that breast cancer was linked to nighttime bra wearing.

  The Comfort of Wearing a Bra at Night

  • Although there is no link between breast cancer and wearing a bra to bed, there is still an issue of being comfortable. Wearing certain types of bras during the day may not be comfortable, such as tight underwire bras. This may not pose a risk with cancer, but it is not good for the skin to poked with an underwire. Being comfortable at night is important to getting a good night's sleep.

  How Women Should Wear a Bra

  • Women should first make sure that a bra fits correctly and comfortably. Women should not wear underwire bras that leave a redness or marks on the skin. Irritation marks indicate the bra does not fit correctly. Women can go braless as long as it is comfortable to them, and they can wear a bra to bed so long as it is comfortable. Massaging the breast does help with circulation, and it may feel good after wearing a bra for a long period of time.