Can I sleep in them?

Take them off before bed. These are designed for daytime wear, when you are upright and gravity is working against you.

Why not overnight

Compression is there to counteract what happens when you are standing or sitting for long stretches. Lying flat does most of that work on its own, so the socks are not doing much for you at night. Wearing them around the clock also gives your skin no break, which is where irritation tends to start.

General clinical guidance for over-the-counter compression is daytime wear with removal at night. If a clinician has specifically told you otherwise for your situation, follow what they said rather than this page.

If night cramps are the problem

A lot of women come to compression because of leg cramps that wake them at 2am, and then wonder whether sleeping in the socks would help. Wearing them through the day is the part that tends to matter here. Overnight wear is not the answer, and it is worth mentioning persistent night cramps to your midwife or doctor.

Naps and flights

A daytime nap with them on is fine. A long flight where you are sitting upright for hours is exactly the situation they are made for, even if you doze. See wearing them on a flight or long drive.