Sleeping with your earrings in poses some obvious risks to the jewelry itself. While keeping your earrings close to you might seem like a safer idea than possibly losing them if you take them out, the constant snagging on pillows or hair is a major reason for prong breakage or missing gemstones. Dr. Peredo, a professor of dermatology, also told Self that cleaning your earrings often is imperative since the accumulation of bacteria could lead to skin irritation or infection. The truth is, if you're sleeping and showering in your earrings, it's unlikely they're being cleaned enough.
Healthline also discusses possible side effects, and you may be experiencing some of these without knowing the cause. Since almost a third of the earring-wearing population is sensitive to nickel, a regular ingredient in cheaper jewelry, longer wear times could increase the chances of skin irritation like eczema. The longer your ears are pierced, the more stretched the skin becomes over time. This can be due to wearing heavy jewelry but it can also be caused by sleeping in it. While tossing and turning at night, earrings can pull on your piercing, leading to stretched skin or even torn earlobes.
Another common cause of headaches in the morning, which you may have overlooked, is sleeping with earrings. If you are waking up with your head in pain, especially if you are a side sleeper, the earring studs pushing against your head throughout the night could be the cause.
