WALDEN’S WORLD

The socks appeal of a good night’s sleep

Ithought of the great British novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford on Sunday when I came across a snippet confirming the importance of bed socks. According to a new study by sleep website The Dozy Owl, Brits wearing the least sexy nightwear of all time got the most REM sleep.

In fact, of the 2,680 volunteers who were hooked up to measure their sleep patterns, it was found that sock-wearers got a whopping 27 per cent REM sleep, as opposed to onesie-wearers, who only got an average of 20.

This won’t surprise anyone who has ever fallen asleep in a onesie, only to awake as swaddled and fretful as a baby in the middle of the night. And it will certainly come as no surprise to the 87-year-old author of A Woman of Substance. Every time I see Taylor Bradford, we expand on a conversation first started almost a decade ago about the magical qualities of bed socks, and their importance within both a life and a marriage. Bed socks, she assures me, aren’t just the answer to a good night’s sleep and the cold feet her beloved late husband of 55 years, Bob, would suffer from, but an illustration of what makes a happy marriage: “Mothering men without them knowing they’re being mothered.”

Even Bradford would be startled to hear that since they increase our chances of REM, bed socks also “help us to remember things and to process our emotions,” however. But if you are thinking of investing in this cure-all accessory, do heed the advice of BTB: “They’ve got to be cashmere, wool and nylon mix,” she insists. “The pure cashmere ones wear out too fast.”