A report from Bustle investigates the scientific reasons why people sometimes sleep with one foot over the covers, including lowering one’s body temperature.
Have you ever experienced one of those middle-of-the-night dilemmas where you can’t decide if you want to be under or over the covers? I certainly have. I cannot sleep without being covered — but I also live in the desert, where the 115-degree heat is just a tad overwhelming. I always end up with one leg out from under the covers. It turns out that science has explained why people sleep with one foot outside the covers, and it has to do with how we’re trying to regulate our own body temperature.
A recent video posted on the Facebook page Unbelievable Facts delves into the science of exactly why some of us leave one foot uncovered when we’re experiencing that hot-but-cold-at-the-same-time feeling. Aside from being hairless (and thus likely more sensitive to temperature changes), our feet also hold special vascular structures that make them an exit point for your body heat. When we want to noticeably lower our body temperature without having to be uncovered, exposing even one foot can make all the difference.
Similarly, if you’re cold, putting on a pair of socks could warm you up significantly. That’s probably why I love wearing socks to bed in the winter, when my feet are normally icicles.
