Many women use waist training postpartum to help them lose weight after delivery.
Wearing a waist trainer can help you to get an hourglass figure, as it redistributes belly fat to areas of the body that are not right out in the front of the stomach.
Women who wear waist trainers to train their bodies into the shape they desire know that they should wear a waist trainer for eight to ten hours per day for optimal results.
This has led many women who wear a waist trainer to wonder: Can you sleep with a waist trainer on?
This article will provide information about weight loss through waist trainers, their benefits of them, the risk you assume when you decide to try waist training, and whether they are safe to sleep in.
Waist trainers
Most women wore waist trainers in society hundreds of years ago.
Most commonly referred to as corsets, these waist trainers were made of a stiff material that included metals and even whale bones. They were cinched very tightly onto a woman so that she would have an hourglass figure, which was the standard of beauty at that time.
Now, we have waist trainers made of all sorts of materials, from a latex waist trainer meant to make you sweat to lose weight to workout waist trainers that are layered so that you burn fat faster.
Whether you want to slim down your waist, define your body shape, correct poor posture, or relieve back discomfort – there is a waist trainer that serves nearly every purpose.
How do you wear a waist trainer?
Waist trainers come in various styles and materials, but the two most popular waist trainers are wrap-around bands and corset trainers.
A wrap-around band is an adjustable band of stretchy material wrapped around the torso or midsection and then secured either with hook and eye closures or with velcro.
A corset waist trainer typically comes in one sturdy piece that you secure around your midsection and then tighten with hook and eye fixtures.
Some, like the waist trainers of the past, have tightening laces to secure them.
Putting a waist trainer on
Wearing a waist trainer used to involve the help of at least one other person. They were hard to adjust, hard to tighten, and challenging to fit.
Now, however, they are much more simple and can be put on by just the wearer with minimal effort.
It is suggested to start with a looser waist trainer in the beginning so that your body can get used to the tighter confines you are putting it in.
How do waist trainers work?
Wearing waist trainers forces the midsection to rearrange the fat under the skin, smoothing it out and giving the appearance of a smaller belly. The belly fat also burns more quickly as you sweat.
Waist trainers claim to be adequate to the point that after a few months of wearing one, wearing waist trainers will no longer be something you need to do to retain the desired hourglass shape.
Can you sleep with a waist trainer on?
Most waist trainers are relatively comfortable and allow you to breathe because you can tighten them yourself.
If this is the case, and you can breathe properly, then sleeping with a waist trainer is probably an okay practice.
Some risks are associated with wearing a waist trainer, and we will discuss this more later, but to sleep with a waist trainer, it’s of utmost importance that you can breathe deeply and regularly.
Why sleep with a waist trainer?
Because you’re supposed to wear waist trainers for eight to ten hours daily to see results, some women opt to wear them during sleep. This is due to many reasons.
First, it’s often just more comfortable to sleep so that the time passes faster. Another reason is that you don’t eat while you’re sleeping, and some women have found that when they eat while wearing a waist trainer, they have acid reflux issues.
Going to bed in waist trainers allows them to do what they are meant to do, but in a way that is easier for the wearer.
How to sleep in a waist trainer
If you have chosen to try to sleep with a waist trainer, the first thing you need to do is get the waist trainer on. The next thing you have to do is get into bed and find a comfortable sleeping position.
This may be easier said than done.
The following are some ways you can more easily sleep with a waist trainer, depending on your preferred sleeping position.
1. Side sleeping with a waist trainer
If you usually sleep on your side, consider using a pregnancy pillow or body pillow to help support you while you sleep.
You will be less able to bend in a waist trainer, keeping your back and spine straight, so feeling as though you are tightly confined with nothing to support you can result in a panic attack.
Leaning on a large pillow can help you to find more stability, especially if you place it under the lumbar curve of the back.
2. Stomach sleeping
If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, consider trading out a more traditional waist trainer with one that has a latex core or is made of latex.
This will be far more comfortable to lay on, as the flexible steel boning will not stab you. You don’t want to interrupt sleep due to bones poking you on your stomach.
3. Back sleeping
Trying to get that tiny waist isn’t worth long-term sleep deprivation.
So if you can only sleep on your back, you need to be able to get to sleep and stay asleep without any acid reflux issues or trouble breathing.
If your trainer is too tight or restricting, it can restrict space in your stomach, forcing the stomach acid back up and resulting in heartburn.
Remember that a waist trainer works by confining your waist, so to sleep comfortably on your back, consider wearing a shorter waist trainer that only focuses on the core muscles of the belly. This way, your lung capacity is not impeded during the night.
How long to wear a waist trainer to see results
Waist trainers work immediately to give the appearance of up to three inches lost on the waist of the person wearing them.
However, as soon as you take it off, you return to the shape you had before you put it on.
Sleeping with a waist trainer is a great way to do your “workout” while you sleep so that you don’t have to wear one during the day.
However you choose to do it, wearing your waist trainer for eight to ten hours a day should yield results in about two months.
You may even see faster results with proper exercise and a healthy diet.
Benefits of a modern-day corset
The medical community seems somewhat divided on the safety of waist trainers, but that doesn’t mean that wearing one puts your health in immediate danger.
You should always speak to your doctor before you decide that waist training is right for you.
There are some generally agreed-upon benefits of wearing waist trainers, and they are highlighted below.
1. Built-in bust support
When it comes to bustline support, women with large breasts may come to love waist trainers.
They push the breasts upward, lend support, and take some stress off the back.
Many women are also pleased with the fact that wearing a waist trainer gives the appearance of an accentuated bust, along with a sculpted silhouette and attractive figure.
2. Good posture
Especially with waist trainers that cover the entire midsection, a waist trainer forces people to sit up straighter and stand with better posture. This can decrease or even eliminate back and neck pain.
4. Weight loss/Burned excess fat
A few hours a day in a waist trainer can result in decreased appetite, more space in your pants, larger breasts being pushed up, and the appearance of curves that appeal to most women.
If you wear your waist trainer to work out, you will also notice that sweating aids in burning fat faster, enabling you to lose weight more quickly than workouts alone.
Are waist trainers dangerous?
Some medical organizations and other experts say there is insufficient evidence that solutions like back supports and trainers help your body maintain health. Instead, they point to other issues that impede good health while wearing one.
The following are some of the risks involved when you wear your waist trainer.
- Poor circulation if you can’t take deep breaths
- Blocked lymphatic system
- Interruption and interruption of internal organ function
- Serious health issues when instructions are not followed closely
- Problems with the digestive tract
- Rib fractures when worn too tightly for too long
- Unnatural positions, especially when sleeping
- Body dysmorphia and other mental health issues
Do doctors recommend sleeping in them?
Always listen to your body, as you are your first and best health advocate.
Ask your doctor if you should avoid wearing a corset or trainer, and if you get the green light on one and feel it is too dangerous to sleep in, stop immediately.
