Sleep and water
Sleeping with earrings in: which ones work
Is it bad to sleep with earrings in? It depends on the pair. What pokes at night is usually the back and the end of the post. What presses is a deep head on the side you sleep on. What catches is anything that hangs. Small, flat studs and small hoops close to the lobe give the pillow the least to work with. If something presses, take the pair out for the night.
In short
Is it bad to sleep with earrings in? It depends on the pair. What pokes at night is usually the back and the end of the post. What presses is a deep head on the side you sleep on. What catches is anything that hangs. Small, flat studs and small hoops close to the lobe give the pillow the least to work with. If something presses, take the pair out for the night.
What pokes and presses at night
Lying on your side, your ear spends hours between your head and the pillow. Every part of an earring that stands out gets pushed, and three parts feel it most.
The back. A butterfly back has two curled wings with edges, and it sits exactly where the ear meets the pillow. Pressed flat for hours, those edges dig into the skin behind the lobe. Silicone stoppers are softer, but they add bulk in the same place.
The end of the post. Behind the back, the tip of the post sticks out. The longer the post, the more of it there is to poke into the side of your neck or the pillow.
The head. From the front, the pillow pushes the head into the lobe. The deeper the head, the more it presses. Raised settings, claws and sharp corners press more than a smooth, flat front.
And then there is everything that hangs. Drops and chains twist in hair and pillowcase, catch when you turn over and pull on the piercing.
None of this is about the night as such. It is about how far an earring stands out, in front of the lobe and behind it.
Which shapes work overnight
These rules hold for any earring, whoever made it.
Small and flat in front. A small head with little depth gives the pillow little to push. Look for the depth in millimetres where it is listed. A smooth, rounded front presses more evenly than a raised stone.
Little behind the lobe. A short post and a flat or small back leave less to dig in. A large back with sharp edges is the first thing to notice at night.
Close to the lobe. A small hoop that sits close around the lobe stays out of the way. A large hoop bends, catches and levers on the piercing when you turn.
Nothing hanging. Drops, chains and threaders come out before bed.
For Baqless, the maker's measurements stand on each pair that has them. Amity Amour Gold has a depth of 1.21 mm, Honesty Sol Gold 1.35 mm, Honesty Heart Gold 1.45 mm. The post is the same on every pair: 1.0 mm thick, 6 to 10 mm long. Behind the lobe, there is no back. There is the anchor, which is part of the post and lies crosswise. The numbers are the maker's. The night is yours to judge.
When to take them out anyway
Some nights a pair is better on the bedside table.
When something presses. If you notice a pair as you fall asleep, it is not the right one for the night. Take it out. Your ear has the last word, not the earring.
When it hangs. Long drops, chains, threaders and large hoops come out before bed, whatever their back.
When it needs cleaning. The maker advises against leaving a pair in permanently, and to clean it from time to time, however often you wear it. After an evening session, wipe off the sweat before bed, or take the pair out and clean it properly.
When you change. A new pair, a new shape, a different ear: try it for an evening before you try it for a night.
To take Baqless out, hold the earring at the front. Slide the anchor back, flip it lengthwise, pull out the post. Put it in its tin, not on the pillow.
In the morning: check how firmly it sits
Make it part of the morning, like checking your watch strap. Touch the back of your lobe.
With a classic back, check that it is still there and still grips. Butterfly wings open with use. Pinch them gently together if the back slides on the post.
With Baqless, check that the anchor lies crosswise behind the lobe. Then set the grip. Too loose? Slide the anchor a little further. Too tight? Slide it back a little. It takes one hand and no mirror, so it works at the bathroom sink as well as on the way out.
Small studs, measured
Four small studs, with the maker's measurements.
- Honesty Aura Gold Stud · 4.9 × 4.9 × 2.0 mm · gold-plated
- Amity Bloom Onyx Gold Stud · 4.80 × 4.80 × 2.00 mm · gold-plated
- Honesty Sol Gold Stud · 6.0 × 6.0 × 1.35 mm · gold-plated
- Amity Amour Gold Stud · 7.18 × 6.52 × 1.21 mm · 18 carat gold-plated
Keep reading
- Earrings you never take off
- Lost an earring back? What helps now
- How the Click-Lock works
- Earring backs explained
Questions
Is it bad to sleep with earrings in?
That depends on the pair, not on the night. Backs with edges, long posts, deep heads and anything hanging cause most of the pressing and catching. If a pair presses, take it out for the night.
Which earrings can you sleep in?
As a general rule, small studs with little depth and a smooth front, small hoops close to the lobe, a short post and little or nothing behind the lobe. Check the depth in millimetres where it is listed.
Should I take my earrings out at night?
Whenever something presses or pokes, and always with long or heavy earrings. And now and then to clean them: the maker advises against leaving a pair in permanently.
What sits behind the lobe with Baqless?
No back. The anchor is part of the post and lies crosswise behind the earlobe. You set how firmly it sits by sliding it along the post.
How do I check how firmly Baqless sits?
Touch the back of your lobe: the anchor lies crosswise. Too loose? Slide the anchor a little further. Too tight? Slide it back a little.
Last checked on 7 October 2026.
