Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPossible RisksTampon AbsorbencySleeping with PadsOvernight Tampon Alternatives
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Possible Risks
Tampon Absorbency
Sleeping with Pads
Overnight Tampon Alternatives
Sleeping with a tampon can be safe, but it depends on how many hours of sleep you plan to get. If less than eight, the risk of developing a possible infection or other adverse effect lowers, as you should change your tampon at least once every eight hours or less.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS)and other bacterial infections can develop when you fall asleep with a tampon in for longer than eight hours.
This article discusses the possible risks of wearing a tampon to bed and what you can do to protect yourself.
Piyapong Thongcharoen / Getty Images
Sleeping With Tampons: Possible Risks
The most notable risk associated with wearing a tampon for longer than you should be is toxic shock syndrome. This rare but serious bacterial infection can cause life-threatening symptoms to develop. Leaving a tampon in for too long or overnight can also lead to other bacterial infections, such asbacterial vaginosisandvulvitis.
Infections can occur because the warm and moist environment of the vagina allows bacteria to thrive and overgrow, leading to infections.
Symptoms of Toxic Shock Syndrome
TSS symptoms include:
Less Than Six Hours of Sleep
If you plan on sleeping for under six hours, wearing a tampon is unlikely to cause any issues. This is especially true if you’re wearing one with the lowest absorbency rate for your flow.
Eight Hours of Sleep
Eight hours is the cutoff when wearing a tampon, whether it be while you’re awake or asleep. Any longer than that, and the risk of developing abacterial infectionincreases significantly.
More Than 10 Hours of Sleep
Tampons should not be used when sleeping for more than 10 hours. Wearing a sanitary pad during longer periods of sleep can eliminate the risk of bacterial infections.
What If I Accidentally Sleep Longer Than Eight Hours?If you sleep with a tampon in and go over eight hours, it’s essential to change the tampon as soon as you get up. Since your risk of developing certain infections, including TSS, is higher when wearing a tampon for over eight hours, be aware of symptoms that develop. Seek emergency medical attention if you notice any of the TSS symptoms mentioned above.A healthcare provider should also address vaginal irritation after sleeping with a tampon for longer than eight hours.
What If I Accidentally Sleep Longer Than Eight Hours?
If you sleep with a tampon in and go over eight hours, it’s essential to change the tampon as soon as you get up. Since your risk of developing certain infections, including TSS, is higher when wearing a tampon for over eight hours, be aware of symptoms that develop. Seek emergency medical attention if you notice any of the TSS symptoms mentioned above.A healthcare provider should also address vaginal irritation after sleeping with a tampon for longer than eight hours.
If you sleep with a tampon in and go over eight hours, it’s essential to change the tampon as soon as you get up. Since your risk of developing certain infections, including TSS, is higher when wearing a tampon for over eight hours, be aware of symptoms that develop. Seek emergency medical attention if you notice any of the TSS symptoms mentioned above.
A healthcare provider should also address vaginal irritation after sleeping with a tampon for longer than eight hours.
What Light, Regular, Super, and Other Tampon Absorbencies Mean
Tampon Absorbency: How Long Do They Last?
Tampon absorbency varies depending on how heavy or light a person’s flow is at that time. These are the typical sizes and their allotted absorbency rate in grams (g):
The rate at which each tampon lasts will depend on your flow. Heavier flows may require more tampon changes than lighter flows, depending on the absorbency rate of the tampon you use.
Choosing the Right TamponWhen choosing a tampon to match your flow, you’ll want to pick one that can absorb it properly. However, you don’t want to choose one too absorbent for your flow. For example, you can wear regular tampons with a heavier flow and change them more often, but you should not use a super-absorbency tampon and leave it in for longer than eight hours so you don’t have to change it as much.
Choosing the Right Tampon
When choosing a tampon to match your flow, you’ll want to pick one that can absorb it properly. However, you don’t want to choose one too absorbent for your flow. For example, you can wear regular tampons with a heavier flow and change them more often, but you should not use a super-absorbency tampon and leave it in for longer than eight hours so you don’t have to change it as much.
Menstruation
Sleeping With Pads: Different Than Tampons?
Many people forgo wearingpadsduring their periods because they are often more uncomfortable than tampons. However, when sleeping for eight hours or longer, you should opt for atampon alternative, and pads are a great option.
If you would prefer to use something more natural or reusable, there are options available for that, too, including:
Menstrual Cups and Bacterial InfectionsMenstrual cups increase your wear time to up to 12 hours. That said, they also come with a risk of developing TSS if left in too long.
Menstrual Cups and Bacterial Infections
Menstrual cups increase your wear time to up to 12 hours. That said, they also come with a risk of developing TSS if left in too long.
5 Tampon Alternatives to Get You Through the Tampon Shortage
Overnight Tampon Alternatives for Heavy Flow
Summary
Wearing a tampon to bed usually is safe if not worn for longer than eight hours. Extended tampon use can lead to the risk of bacterial infections, including toxic shock syndrome.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hochwalt AE, Abbinante-Nissen JM, Bohman LC, Hattersley AM, Hu P, Streicher-Scott JL, Teufel AG, Woeller KE.The safety assessment of tampons: illustration of a comprehensive approach for four different products.Front Reprod Health.2023 Jun 20;5:1167868. doi:10.3389/frph.2023.1167868Johns Hopkins Medicine.Toxic shock syndrome (TSS).Sleep Foundation.Can you sleep with a tampon in?Woeller KE, Miller KW, Robertson-Smith AL, Bohman LC.Impact of advertising on tampon wear-time practices.Clin Med Insights Womens Health.2015 Nov 29;8:29-38. doi:10.4137/CMWH.S25123Reame NK.Toxic shock syndrome and tampons: The birth of a movement and a research ‘Vagenda’.The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies.2020 Jul 25(51). doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_51Health Link BC.Toxic shock syndrome.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hochwalt AE, Abbinante-Nissen JM, Bohman LC, Hattersley AM, Hu P, Streicher-Scott JL, Teufel AG, Woeller KE.The safety assessment of tampons: illustration of a comprehensive approach for four different products.Front Reprod Health.2023 Jun 20;5:1167868. doi:10.3389/frph.2023.1167868Johns Hopkins Medicine.Toxic shock syndrome (TSS).Sleep Foundation.Can you sleep with a tampon in?Woeller KE, Miller KW, Robertson-Smith AL, Bohman LC.Impact of advertising on tampon wear-time practices.Clin Med Insights Womens Health.2015 Nov 29;8:29-38. doi:10.4137/CMWH.S25123Reame NK.Toxic shock syndrome and tampons: The birth of a movement and a research ‘Vagenda’.The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies.2020 Jul 25(51). doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_51Health Link BC.Toxic shock syndrome.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hochwalt AE, Abbinante-Nissen JM, Bohman LC, Hattersley AM, Hu P, Streicher-Scott JL, Teufel AG, Woeller KE.The safety assessment of tampons: illustration of a comprehensive approach for four different products.Front Reprod Health.2023 Jun 20;5:1167868. doi:10.3389/frph.2023.1167868Johns Hopkins Medicine.Toxic shock syndrome (TSS).Sleep Foundation.Can you sleep with a tampon in?Woeller KE, Miller KW, Robertson-Smith AL, Bohman LC.Impact of advertising on tampon wear-time practices.Clin Med Insights Womens Health.2015 Nov 29;8:29-38. doi:10.4137/CMWH.S25123Reame NK.Toxic shock syndrome and tampons: The birth of a movement and a research ‘Vagenda’.The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies.2020 Jul 25(51). doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_51Health Link BC.Toxic shock syndrome.
Hochwalt AE, Abbinante-Nissen JM, Bohman LC, Hattersley AM, Hu P, Streicher-Scott JL, Teufel AG, Woeller KE.The safety assessment of tampons: illustration of a comprehensive approach for four different products.Front Reprod Health.2023 Jun 20;5:1167868. doi:10.3389/frph.2023.1167868
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
Sleep Foundation.Can you sleep with a tampon in?
Woeller KE, Miller KW, Robertson-Smith AL, Bohman LC.Impact of advertising on tampon wear-time practices.Clin Med Insights Womens Health.2015 Nov 29;8:29-38. doi:10.4137/CMWH.S25123
Reame NK.Toxic shock syndrome and tampons: The birth of a movement and a research ‘Vagenda’.The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies.2020 Jul 25(51). doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_51
Health Link BC.Toxic shock syndrome.
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