The pros and cons of sleeping in a bra

There is a myth that questions the use of a bra at bedtime. It is said that sleeping without one can cause breasts to sag over time.

However, gynecologist Konstatinos Tserotas and plastic surgeon Lenin Almanza agree that this myth is false; however, in certain cases it has its benefits.

"Breast sagging has nothing to do with the type of bra worn, or whether or not it is worn at bedtime. It has to do with age, genetics and the number of pregnancies. In fact, it has already been proven that it has no relationship with breastfeeding," says Almanza.

According to the plastic surgeon, breast ptosis is the gradual sagging of the breasts and is a natural process that occurs in women over time.

Almanza explains that during pregnancy, breasts increase in volume, the skin stretches as a result of this growth, but it does not return to its original position after childbirth, thus showing sagging breasts.

In breast ptosis, the internal supporting ligaments of the breast (Cooper's suspensory ligaments) give way, causing the mammary gland to drop and become lower, flattening and giving a "hollow" appearance to the upper part of the breast.

The breasts protect the mammary glands, which do not have muscles, and which rest (but are not supported) on the pectoral muscle, so any effort to strengthen the muscles to try to increase the volume of the breasts or return the breast to its previous position is useless.

"One option to avoid breast ptosis would be not to have children, but even with this there is no guarantee, because age and genetics have an influence. Plastic surgery is the only option a woman has to -after having children- have breasts as they were before her pregnancies. Today there are various breast lift techniques, which depend on the conditions each patient has and the final result desired," says plastic surgeon Lenin Almanza.

For his part, the gynecologist Konstantinos Tserotas points out that sleeping in a bra can be a good option for "those women who wake up with sore breasts or suffer from cysts, since it makes the discomfort less."

According to Tserotas, in these cases the bra supports the breast and prevents the ligaments from over-stretching when they hang down while sleeping, which reduces pain.

Given this scenario, whether or not to sleep in a bra seems to be ultimately a measure that must be taken based on comfort.