American actress Halle Berry once said in an interview with InStyle magazine: “If you don’t want your boobs to hit your knees by the time you’re 30, always wear a bra, even to bed.” She’s been doing so since she was 16.
Of course, whether a woman wears a bra when she sleeps is a personal choice. Some women find it a hassle – why bother when you can let loose all night?
I used to be one of those women. But as I entered my third trimester of pregnancy and my breasts grew, I started needing more support. That was when I discovered the benefits of wearing a bra to bed – and yes, they go beyond Berry’s belief that it prevents sagging.
Dr Bertha Woon, a general and breast surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital and the founder of Bertha Woon General & Breast Surgery, said sleeping with a bra on can provide comfortable support, facilitate better sleep by keeping the breasts together, and offer protection for the nipples throughout the night.
For nursing mums, a nursing bra with pads protects the nipples, which tend to be sensitive after giving birth.
“For women recovering after breast surgery, wearing special post-operative bras to bed with compression can reduce post-operative pain and reduce the need for painkillers,” Dr Woon added.
When it comes to selecting the right bra, Dr Woon said what matters more is what women feel comfortable in. Her advice is to look for a bra with a soft, breathable material, a seamless design, and which offers support appropriate to one’s breast size.
In my search for bras to sleep in, I discovered lingerie brands that offered bras comfortable enough to toss and turn in. Specifically, bras that are wireless, made of a soft and flexible material, ideally designed without back hooks (or with barely-there hooks), and which still provide good support. Here’s what I found:
1. PERK BY KATE
