Table of contents:
- Is it true that sleeping in a bra has a risk of breast cancer?
- So, is it okay to sleep in a bra or not?
Everyone seems to have a different opinion on this matter. Some people argue that sleeping in a bra can prevent sagging breasts, others say that a bra that is worn during sleep blocks the work of the lymph nodes - and can even lead to breast cancer.
Not a few also say sleeping in a bra can make the breasts firmer, but there are also those who argue that the bra material can cause irritation of the breasts.
According to Dr. Amber Guth, director of the Breast Cancer Surgery Multidisciplinary Fellowship at NYU Langone Medical Center, there is no medical certainty in terms of either the health benefits or risks of sleeping wearing a bra.
Sleeping with a bra can provide comfort, but it is not a guarantee that your breasts can stay tight Women who have large breasts tend to sleep in a bra, as do pregnant women, because their breasts can enlarge to twice their normal size and be much heavier.
Is it true that sleeping in a bra has a risk of breast cancer?
The idea that wearing a bra for more than eight to 12 hours a day will weaken the breast tissue so that the breasts will sag more quickly is incorrect. Sagging or changing breast shape is caused by a number of factors, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss, the law of gravity, or signs of aging (reduced collagen production).
Deborah Axelrod, M.D, a breast surgeon and associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, says that under-harnessed bras or wearing a bra while sleeping will not increase your risk of breast cancer.
This rumor started around the 90's when a book author claimed that wearing a tight bra every day (especially under-wire bras) posed a higher risk of breast cancer. He claims that by limiting the work of the lymphatic system (which eliminates toxins from the body), bras can trap toxins to stay in the breast tissue and cause cancer. However, until now, there has been no research or medical evidence to support this claim.
So, is it okay to sleep in a bra or not?
Guth says that, if you still want to wear a bra while sleeping, choose a bra that is not so tight that it limits or stops blood circulation. There are a few things you need to remember. First, avoid hard and stiff bra models. Bra wires can press down on your chest when you lie on your stomach and rub against the skin, causing irritation or possibly a cyst. Choose a type of bra made from soft and smooth, such as sports bras, but not too stretchy or loose. A good sleep bra not only gives you support, it doesn't overwhelm you either.
However, if your routine of wearing a bra turns out to be contributing to lymphatic blockage, you should be more careful in paying attention to other signs and symptoms, such as edema (fluid accumulation in the breasts), non-cancerous breast changes, in shape or size in the axillary lymph nodes. These glands are located in the armpit area and serve as the body's first protection against all kinds of infections, foreign material, and cancer cells.
Experts and researchers are currently still trying to investigate all the possibilities related to breasts down to molecular detail, what other factors can predict or permissively develop breast cancer, but it is very doubtful that external factors such as bras have a significant influence.
So far, it doesn't matter whether you choose to sleep in a bra or not. This is only limited to safety and personal comfort aspects to help you sleep better.