It’s a question everyone who wears jewelry will ask themselves at some point. For those of us who may have just gotten engaged, or wear a sentimental heirloom, the thought of removing the beloved piece from our hand can seem downright devastating. However, here are a few considerations for why that might be in our best interest.

While it may feel perfectly natural to never remove your rings, jewelers highly recommend doing so before just about any activity – including showering, gardening, working out, and last but not least, sleeping. You may wonder “why sleeping?” when you’re not actively using your hands, but sleeping with your rings can still expose your jewelry and your fingers to just as many risks. While asleep, you are more prone to unconscious movements that lead to rings snagging on sheets, hair, or clothing. Even one snag can cause prongs to bend, gemstones to loosen, or delicate metalwork to warp – and if you continue to sleep in your jewelry it will worsen over time. Even the tightest of secured stones may loosen with repeated pressure or stress.

It is also common for fingers to swell during sleep. When this happens, the band can tighten around the finger causing not only discomfort and difficulty removing the piece upon waking, but could also lead to loss of circulation.

Wearing jewelry to bed not only affects the wearer, it can have a negative impact on anyone else in the bed, even the bedding itself. Diamonds, in particular, are known for their sharp edges which have the potential to scratch or tear anything they rub against. Sheets with a high thread count are number one prey for multi-faceted gemstones.

So, what’s the best practice to keep your jewelry, you, and everything around you safe while sleeping? Jewelers recommend making jewelry removal a part of your nightly routine – before you even get into bed. Consistency is the key here; get a ring dish or a soft-lined jewelry box to keep near your bed to store your rings while you sleep. Having the same spot will ensure you don’t misplace those precious pieces and helps removing jewelry become a habitual practice for you.

For those of you that travel with your jewelry, consider placing your pieces in the safe before hopping into bed. Sometimes leaving jewelry on the nightstand of a hotel or a shared home is too risky as it creates more opportunity for jewelry to be lost.

The bottom line is that sleeping with your rings on can expose the jewelry and your fingers to risks that could be prevented by removing and stowing them in a safe place before going to bed. The only exception to this would be if there wasn’t a secure place to keep your rings, which in that case, the better option would be to leave your jewelry safe at home.

Explore fine jewelry at Schiffman's Jewelers in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Lexington, KY.