Q&A: SHOULD I WEAR MY WEDDING RING TO BED?

Photo Courtesy of Leland Francisco.

Honestly, it depends.

There are a few reasons why you might not want to wear your wedding/engagement ring to sleep. If none of these are a big deal or do not apply, then wear away. Also notable, if you feel very strongly about never taking your ring off, maybe you should endure the negatives and keep it on through the night. Rings are an intensely personal thing.

Reason #1 for taking off the ring: scratching yourself or the one you love! Some rings have very pronounced edges, especially the ones with high bezel settings. You may think you don’t move in your sleep…but you probably do. If you’ve got the kind of ring that could turn your husbands back into a tic-tac-toe board, maybe you should take it off.

Reason #2: loosening the prongs or the gem. Most of your waking life, your diamond isn’t physically touching anything but air and the side of your finger. It’s a very different story when you’re asleep. This is where your ring setting gets the most jostling. Some rings are pretty immune to this–rings with a low setting, for instance, or rings made with a really strong metal like platinum. But if you have gold jewelry, the prongs are malleable, and you may want to consider keeping it away from the sheets.

Reason #3: finger swelling. Some people’s fingers swell in their sleep. This can make a ring very uncomfortable.

Reason #4: misplacing the ring. If you’re a loosy goosy with your head in the clouds, maybe you’d prefer to keep the ring on as often as possible, so you don’t misplace it! As the Greeks say, “know thyself.”

Honestly, if none of these things are an issue for you, wear the ring to sleep. And if you feel strongly about it, wear the ring to sleep. But if you feel so strongly about it, why are you asking me??

If you decide to take the ring off, buy a cute jewelry dish and keep it by your bedside table. You’ll know where your ring is at all times, and you have an excuse for another adorable bowl in your house. Win-win!