Having your feet, but especially wet socks are something that nobody likes and is much related to the risk of getting sick. However, sleeping in this way is not as bad as you thought, in fact, it can be good for your health, especially if you are congested with a cold.
The idea of sleeping with wet socks when you have a cold sound completely crazy, but it is not, because according to the Heartland Naturopathic Clinic, this hydrotherapy technique is effective in relieving nasal congestion caused by colds or flu.
How does it work? When your feet get cold, the blood vessels contract, making the nutrients you need to fight off the infection and relieve you, travel to the organs and tissues. Then, as the feet warm, the vessels dilate to release the heat, then the toxins from the tissues go into the bloodstream so that your body can get rid of them. In short: alternating cold and heat stimulate circulation and lymph nodes, activating your immune system and freeing you from the nasal congestion.
Follow the steps
To be effective, it must be done correctly, so you need to use 90% cotton socks and 90% wool socks, in addition to following these steps:
- Soak the foot part of the cotton socks in cold water and squeeze them out.
- Put your feet in a tub or tray with hot water to heat them, remove them until they are slightly red and hot.
- Dry them and immediately put on the wet socks and on these the dry wool ones.
- Get in bed and keep your feet covered during the night, otherwise, it will not work.
If you do it correctly, you will forget the nasal congestion in 30 minutes and 4 hours after getting into bed, the socks will have dried and your symptoms improved. You can repeat it several nights in a row, to avoid the use of decongestants.
Only in certain cases
As you read, this method works for colds or flu, as long as they have been diagnosed by a doctor before. If you’re not sure what you have, go to the consultation, remember that these diseases are not the only ones that can cause congestion, according to Mayo Clinic specialists, this is also caused by:
- Acute and chronic sinusitis
- Allergies
- Deviated partition
- Dry air
- Foreign bodies in the nose
- Churg-Strauss syndrome, among other conditions.
Before applying any alternative therapy, it is best to consult your doctor and rule out other diseases or greater severity.
