The debate is still on about whether wearing a bra and sleeping is good or bad. Some say it is good and some say that it is bad. So let us see whether it should be ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
When You Wear a Bra at Night:
First of all, let us see why women wear bra at all. It is actually a practice that has been in practice among many cultures and it has spread across the globe. Ancient Indian women and women of ancient tribes never wore bra. Many of them do not even wear a blouse.
Bra is worn to enhance the aesthetics of your body. It also helps in giving support to the heavily endowed women. This way it makes their lives a little easier. This is the reason why they choose a well-fitted bra. But it is doubtful whether all of us wear the right bra.
According to the survey conducted, about 80% of women who took part in the survey wore bras of the wrong size. Out of this, 70% wore the tight ones and the remaining 10% wore bras that were loose and ill-fitting.
Bras: Do They Cause Saggy Breasts?
Many of you might be wondering does wearing a bra stop breasts from sagging? As you may be aware, breasts are not made of muscles, but with fat and fiber. So, exercising them like muscles to make them firm will not give you positive results. With age, breasts are bound to sag. Wearing the right kind of bra can make your breasts look perky and firm. Women who are athletic and engage in various activities like running, jogging or any other vigorous exercises should always wear a well fitted sports bra. This helps in controlling the excessive movements of the breasts during their activities. This movement can cause the breast to sag and also cause breast pain on many women.
Now the question is whether it is right to wear it at night. Wearing bra is needed only to counteract the gravity or to reduce the impact of gravity on the breasts. Breasts tend to sag more because of the gravitational pull of the earth. The only way to stop this is to wear a bra that can pull them up. When you are sleeping, they are not under the gravitational pull. So, it can be said that you need not wear it when you sleep at night. But if you feel awkward without it, then you can wear a cotton bra that does not have an underwire. If you do not feel uncomfortable without bra, then you can go without it.
Can Wearing a Bra Cause Breast Cancer?
According to Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, when you wear a bra, you are squishing your boobs for the whole day and then again in the night. This can interfere with the functioning of the lymphatic system. This can increase the risk of breast cancer over the years. They came to this conclusion after interviewing 47,00 women in the U.S. They say that cultures that did not advocate the practice of wearing bra hardly witnessed any cases of breast cancer, while bra-wearing cultures have witnessed a number of deaths in women due to breast cancer.
This is only one side of the story. Scientists do not approve this theory. When research was conducted on a group of post-menopausal women, they were not able to find any connection between bra-wearing (or not wearing a bra) and breast cancer. When the authors of Dress to Kill appealed to the American Cancer Society for approval of their theory, they ruled it out saying that it is not done on scientific basis. So, it is up to you to decide whether you want to wear bra at night or not. If you are from a family with a history of breast cancer, and if you feel that bra-wearing has got any link to the lumps in your breasts or discomfort if any, then you can refrain from wearing bra, especially in the night.
What is the role of a bra in breast care?
As it was mentioned earlier, women with big boobs tend to suffer from breast pain. Some even complain about pain in the neck. This is because there is a lot of movement when you walk or run. When you walk, your boobs juggle for about 4 am back and forth. When you run, it can juggle up to 15 cm back and forth. This is where the bra comes to the rescue. A sports bra that is of the correct fitting is more appropriate.
Women who have had any breast related surgeries also should wear bra. This helps in giving support to the breasts and reducing the post-operative soreness. It is helpful in the night also. This is because when you toss on the bed, some pain and discomfort may be felt. Wearing the bra helps dealing with the pain in a better way.
Key takeaways for you:
- The role of the bra is only to support, and that too only when you wear it. It also makes your breasts look firm. You don’t need the support of bra at night because at night when you sleep, the gravity is not acting on the breasts.
- Women with heavy bust should choose their bra carefully and make sure that it is of the right size for them. This way they can reduce the impact on the ligaments of their breasts.
- Another thing to remember is that scientifically speaking, wearing or not wearing a bra at night has nothing to do with breast cancer.
If you feel some discomfort you can go bra-less at night and even day time. But if not wearing a bra makes you uncomfortable, then you can wear it. Remember to choose the right bra.
