How Long Can You Wear Compression Socks? – (& More!)

Let’s answer the question “how long can you wear compression socks?”

Is There an Exact Answer on How Long Compression Socks Can be Worn?

Putting on skin color compression socks

There are so many different answers when you type in “How long can I wear compression socks?” on Google search. Some websites recommend less while some recommend more. There are even websites or sellers that suggest wearing compression socks to bed can help losing weight and “burn fat” while you sleep to achieve the result of slimmer legs. I wouldn’t exactly call it a scam but trust me, it’s up there.

Stop Leg Pain Instantly

ComproGear Compression Socks provide immediate relief for tired, achy legs.

Rule 101: Do Not Wear Compression Socks While You Sleep

Red X on well known purple compression socks

There is one particularly well-known compression socks brand that even has the word “Sleeping” and a pair of legs wearing the purple compression socks in bed on the packaging itself. They might not make the “exact” claim on what they are promoting but how the packaging itself is presented to the consumers is definitely intuitive.

Hello! If wearing some compression socks can offer the convenient service of “burning fat” while you sleep then the words like “gym”, “exercise”, “work out”, “diet” or even “don’t eat the whole pizza” won’t even exist in the first place. Do not fall for the fairy dust sprinkled by wrongful marketing strategies.

Healthy blood circulation is the key to great health and compression socks contribute a great deal towards that. But on the flip side, overwearing them contributes to exactly the opposite of great blood circulation. It will backfire. You might wonder if wearing compression socks are so beneficial to the body’s blood circulation, then why would there be any harm for wearing them for as long as you can?

Stop Leg Pain Instantly

ComproGear Compression Socks provide immediate relief for tired, achy legs.

The Harm of Overwearing Compression Socks

If you are a pretty lady (pretty man too) reading this article now, the best example I can give you is, imagine you wear your makeup 24/7 without taking them off.

Surely wearing makeup is a great way to enhance your appearance and give your confidence a boost. It makes you feel like the prettiest girl in the world. If that is the case, why do you know to remove your make up before you go to bed? Because you know it is a burden to your skin. Your skin will age 10 times faster because there is no chance for your skin to breath through those layers of makeup you have on your face. It will cause irritation and dehydration to the skin and worse with overtime, skin infection or skin disease. So, as much as it can make you look or feel good to the moon and back, you know it’s vital to remove them.

Removing compression socks

It’s exactly the same when wearing compression socks. You need to remove them to let your skin breaths, and you cannot only rely on simply an external tool to provide supports to your lower limbs to promote blood circulation and relieve your muscle soreness. Your muscles will go lazy over time and those joints and knuckles you have my dear will become highly vulnerable when you stop wearing compression socks. You don’t want to crumble into bone dust when someone accidentally kicked you on the ankle.

Other than that, it will also increase the risks of skin diseases and skin infections. As compression socks are thick and tight, it can affect skin metabolism. What other harm can it cause? How about disrupting your blood circulation if you prolonged wearing them on a daily basis.

We come back full circle to how long exactly can you wear compression socks? How long?

Charlie Puth- How Long meme

Jokes aside…

Different Wearing Durations for Different Types of People

If you wear them to treat varicose vein or venous reflux disease then visit the clinic and consult a doctor. The doctor will suggest to you what type of compression socks and what level of compression pressure (mmHg) to go for. Of course, your doctor will also recommend how long you should wear them every day according to your health condition as one might be more severe than the other.

If you’re trying them out for daily use then I would recommend 8-10 hours max and again, definitely, DO NOT wear them to bed. You can wear them while on duty underneath your pants or skirts if your job requires you to stand or sit throughout the entire duty. If you’re an office lady, teacher or flight attendant, compression stockings are great alternatives. Ultimately, regardless of what your occupation is, you can always wear your compression socks underneath your garments to help relieve leg pain during work. Unless you’re a bikini model, duh. Bikini and compression socks together are not exactly on-trend now.

Graphic image of variety of occupations

Do bear in mind, compression socks are also great for pregnant women, retired seniors, bedridden patients and people that travel as frequent as I eat (A LOT…). If you belong to the first three categories then please consult a doctor at your nearest clinic on how long should you wear compression socks. If you belong to the last category then you can wear them during your flight every time you travel to prevent Economy Class Syndrome.


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The Ultimate Answer

Finally, we are at the end of the article. I hope you get some clarity on how long exactly can you wear compression socks/compression stockings. It’s more about how long should you wear your compression socks. Single-digit hours is sufficient for an ordinary person. You are really stretching it like those socks if you wear them for double-digit hours every day. As mentioned above, everybody has a different health condition, so while there is no specific answer to this question, the ultimate conclusion is definitely to remove them at the end of the day before you go to bed.

Stop Leg Pain Instantly

ComproGear Compression Socks provide immediate relief for tired, achy legs.

This page last updated December 15, 2022