You have often heard your mother or grandmother saying that sleeping in a bra can cause breast cancer, impact breast growth along with affecting in many other ways. However, you will be happy to know that contrary to popular belief, there’s no medical evidence that says it’s bad to sleep with a bra on. 

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“Some women have painful, lumpy breasts, and wearing a soft bra to bed can help limit breast movement while sleeping,” says Dr. Regina Hampton, a board certified breast surgeon and founder of Breast Care for Washington D.C. in an interview with healthline.com.

This is also true for those with breast implants. 

“Sleeping in a bra can be more supportive, as long as it’s a soft bra that’s not cutting off any circulation,” says Dr. Terri Ann Samuels, a board certified urogynecologist and founder of Essentially You. 

The experts also say that just like there are no major benefits to sleeping with a bra, there are also no negative consequences to sleeping in one too.

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“No published data says there is any detriment to sleeping in a bra, such as breast cancer effects, bad blood circulation, or stunted breast growth,” says Samuels.

If there’s any cause for concern at all, it’s simply that you shouldn’t wear a bra that’s too tight or digging into your skin, which could cause skin irritation and disrupted sleep.

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“Just make sure it’s the right size bra and the proper fit to prevent things like a fungal infection under the breasts, which can happen if the bra doesn’t tuck under the breast properly, resulting in skin touching skin,” says Hampton.