It’s clear that bras are a big no for a lot of women, but there are also plenty who feel they need to wear one for support at night (it’s worth pointing out that some women find specially designed ‘sleep bras’ are helpful).

But the big divider here is pants (knickers, briefs, whatever you want to call them). And many women are influenced by the ‘let things breathe down there’ advice passed on through the generations. But is there any truth to that and are there any health benefits?

Dr Sarah Welsh, gynaecology doctor and co-founder at HANX, says that, actually, you just need to do what you feel most comfortable doing, explaining: “Wearing underwear acts as a barrier, protecting your clothes from vaginal discharge and blood, and also protecting your vulva and vagina from irritation from clothes.

“Wearing underwear in bed can be fine if it allows free air flow, and does not cause pain or excessive heat and moisture. Warm and moist areas can encourage growth of infections such as thrush. Tight underwear can also lead to vaginitis, which is inflammation and soreness of the vagina, including bacterial vaginosis. So whether this is during the day or at night, I would avoid tight synthetic underwear.”

Should you wear underwear to bed? Women are very divided over what they sleep in