Your first few years as a married couple can be an exciting time when you’re starting to find out what your new family will be. While you bask in the euphoria of your union, you may find yourself wondering if you should ever take your rings off. Some situations such as cooking and cleaning are obvious because of the potential for dirt and damage, but others aren’t so cut and dry. Should you take your rings off before you hit the sheets? Here are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to leave your bling in the jewelry box at bedtime.
Snags
If your ring has a raised setting, it can easily get caught in the sheets while you toss and turn in your sleep. Not only can this put a rip in an expensive sheet set, but it could also cause damage to your jewelry. If your ring is made out of platinum or gold, it only takes a small amount of pressure to bend these soft metals out of shape. A damaged setting isn’t able to securely hold the stone, which means it could fall out. While your diamond may look large on your finger, it can be extremely difficult to locate in a bundle of sheets.
Contact Damage
A bed sheet snag isn’t the only potential threat to your ring while you sleep. If you’re a particularly restless sleeper, your jewelry gets direct contact with your sheets, pillows and blankets. This is more friction than your rings encounter while you’re awake, and it can take its toll. While your ring won’t sustain major damage, it could lose some of its luster from scuffing.
Uncomfortable Situations
While most of the issues stemming from sleeping with your ring have to do with damage to your jewelry, there’s also a potential health problem that could occur if you wear rings in your sleep. As you lay still in the bed, circulation slows down and blood can pool in your extremities. This has the side effect of making your fingers and toes swell up, which means your ring no longer fits properly. When you wake up, you could experience significant discomfort until your body returns to its normal circulation patterns. You can usually remove jewelry from a swollen finger using soap and cold water, but why put yourself through that every morning?
Hair can also be a source of discomfort for people who wear their rings to bed. If you frequently move your arms around while you’re sleeping, there’s a chance the setting could get snagged in your hair, especially for those with longer locks. Not only could this cause damage to the ring, but it may wake you up and make you miss out on precious sleep.
Symbolism
No matter if it’s from a wedding, engagement or school graduation, your ring acts as a symbol. To people who pass you on the street, they can see your jewelry as a sign of your commitment to your significant other or pride in your alma mater, but they aren’t there in the bedroom with you. Your spouse knows how you feel, so you won’t be hurting his or her feelings by keeping your rings on the nightstand until the morning.
