It’s not usually harmful to wear support socks during sleeping hours as long as they don’t cause discomfort. However, wearing support socks in bed at night is often unnecessary and in many cases, it’s unlikely to provide any benefit.

Support socks are designed to help prevent swelling in the legs that occurs when the blood circulating through the veins has trouble making it back to the heart. Most people sleep lying down with their legs elevated, making it easier for blood to circulate freely since the body isn’t working against the force of gravity. It can also be beneficial to give the legs a break from wearing support socks. Some people experience mild discomfort, including skin irritation, from wearing support socks for prolonged periods.

There may be specific reasons for wearing support socks to bed, depending on your condition. Ask your healthcare provider if support socks are recommended while you sleep. It’s best to wear support socks as directed specifically by you healthcare provider.

Check with the manufacturer to determine if your ankle support is intended to be worn over socks. Some types of ankle support are designed to be worn over bare skin. In these cases, wearing socks underneath may cause issues, such as chafing. In other cases, ankle support is intended to be worn over socks in order to protect the skin.

Arch support socks may be beneficial for some people. However, traditional arch support shoe inserts may be more effective. If you have arch pain, consider full-sized orthotics specially designed to address pain in the arch of the foot. Dr. Scholl’s® Pain Relief Orthotics for Arch Pain fit easily into most shoes without the need for trimming. The added arch support helps reduce stress on the arch area while Shock Guard® technology minimizes impact. For women who wear flats, Dr. Scholl’s® Stylish Step® Hidden Arch Support for Flats are a great choice. The soft gel arch supports fit discreetly into shoes without causing foot crowding.

Support socks, also known as compression socks, are designed to improve circulation in the legs, and they can help reduce blood pooling in the veins of the leg. Support socks gently squeeze the legs to encourage blood flow back to the heart.

Support socks can help relieve swelling and heaviness in the legs. They may also help reduce the risk of serious health issues such as blood clots and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Some people wear support socks to minimize leg swelling during long flights. There are also people who wear compression socks to help with symptoms associated with varicose veins, such as aches and pains, muscle cramping and swelling.

Check with the brand for instructions on how to measure for their specific support socks. In general, it’s advised to use a tape measure and follow these instructions:

• Measure the narrowest part of the ankle, which is the area just above the anklebone.
• Measure the widest part of the calf.
• For thigh high support socks, measure the widest part of the thigh.
• If you’re measuring for length, measure from the floor under the back of the heel to the area just above the backside of the knee. If you’re measuring for length for thigh high support socks, measure from the floor under the heel to just below where the buttocks begin on the back of the leg.

In order to put on support socks, it’s best to consult the instructions from your specific brand if they’re available. Instructions can vary depending on the brand and type of support socks. In general, you can put on support socks following these steps:

• Put support socks on first thing in the morning when the legs are less likely to be swollen.
• Start with clean skin. Avoid applying lotions or creams as the ingredients could prevent the socks from gliding easily over the skin.
• Insert your foot into the toes of the sock and slowly slide the sock up the leg.
• Make small adjustments as necessary, gently pulling the sock further up by starting at the bottom and working your way up the leg. Avoid pulling from the top of the sock.
• If you’re putting on thigh high support socks, it’s best to stand up when pulling the socks over the knees.

Check the instructions for the brand of ankle support you’re using to find out if it’s advisable to wear the product with socks. Some types of ankle support are designed to be worn without socks while some brands recommend wearing socks with their ankle supports.

If you’re using a type of ankle support designed to be worn with socks, it’s important to note that some brands recommend wearing the socks over the ankle support while other brands recommend wearing socks under the ankle support. It’s usually best to choose a style of sock that extends past the ankle support.

Support socks, sometimes referred to as compression socks, are a type of specialty sock that fits snugly around the legs in order to promote better circulation. Support socks may help reduce the risk of a number of issues related to poor circulation in the legs, including swelling, aching and blood clots.

Many types of support socks feature graduated compression. This means the socks fit tightly around the feet and ankles and then become less tight as the sock moves up the leg. Support socks come in knee high and thigh high styles. There are also support socks that only feature a sleeve but no foot.

Some types of support socks are available over-the-counter while other types are prescribed by a doctor.

Many styles of support socks can be purchased over-the-counter at retailers such as drug stores and department stores as well as online retailers. Other types of support socks require a prescription from a doctor.

Read the instructions from the manufacturer carefully in order to determine if you need to wear your ankle support over or under your sock. There are many different types of ankle support and the instructions vary from brand to brand.