Why do so many people sleep with one leg sticking out? Science has an explanation.
Many people have the strange habit of sticking a leg out from under the covers when they try to fall asleep. And while it may seem like a small gesture, there is a scientific explanation for it.
Everyone has their little bedtime rituals: their favorite pillow, a dark room, a comfortable and stable bed. But one gesture is universally agreed upon: keeping a foot cool. Why do we do it, and what does science say about it?
This behavior is linked to an important biological process that helps the body enter sleep mode: the regulation of body temperature.
Why do we go outside?
According to chronobiologists, to prepare for sleep, the human body must eliminate excess internal heat. This process results in a dilation of blood vessels at the surface of the skin, called vasodilation.
During the day, the body works tirelessly and gradually heats up. At night, it needs to cool down to rest. To do this, it activates a heat dissipation mechanism: blood flows more freely to the skin, especially the hands and feet.
It is at this precise moment that the instinctive desire to stretch out a leg appears, because the limbs constitute one of the most effective "open valves" for releasing heat.
