According to experts, sleeping in your underwear could be responsible for several health problems.

Wearing constrictive underwear whilst you sleep can create the most effective environment for a number of unpleasant conditions, particularly in women! This includes a higher risk of yeast and bacterial infections.

This suggestion comes as US gynaecologist Dr Alyssa Dweck revealed that her advice to patients is not to wear knickers at night. She tells her patients to sleep without underwear, as if the area is always covered, particularly by fabric that isn’t absorbent or moisture wicking, then moisture will collect and this creates the perfect breeding ground for yeast.

Medical director of the Well Woman Centre in Dublin, Dr Shirley McQuade, said that wearing underwear to bed can pave the way for infections such as thrush and bacterial vaginosis.

She said that wearing underwear overnight can cause problems for women because of the increase in temperature and low circulation, which can allow for yeast and bacteria to thrive.

Dr Quade went on to say that underwear isn’t the only problem. She said that wearing tight lyrca whilst working out can also cause infections to recur in women. Dr Quade advises all women to wear cotton underwear and loose clothing when at the gym.

But it’s not just ladies who are advised to go commando in bed. Experts say that wearing boxers overnight can impact a man’s fertility. Dr Quade said that temperature can have a bearing on sperm count and that wearing boxers to bed often increases temperature. Therefore sperm count is decreased and fertility is impacted. She also said that men who sit down at work are vulnerable to this problem too, along with men who wear lyrca to exercise.