What to Wear to Bed for a Better Night’s Sleep

What you wear in bed matters when it comes to getting a great night’s sleep. So are pyjamas or a onesie best? Or should you sleep naked instead? We take a look at the options – and reveal what you should wear in bed.

What the UK wears in bed

We surveyed more than 1,200 UK adults to find out what the UK wears in bed – with some slightly surprising results.

The most popular options were fairly predictable – 37% opt for pyjamas, 23% sleep in their underwear, and 19% choose a shorts and t-shirt combination. So far, so straightforward. However, our survey did reveal a few more unusual nightwear choices – 1.3% sleep in a tracksuit, 0.8% wear a hoodie, and 2.5% prefer a onesie for bedtime.

So who’s getting it right?

It’s not what you wear – it’s what it’s made from

Actually, when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, it’s not what you wear, but what it’s made from that counts. One of the biggest barriers to sleep is maintaining the right body temperature throughout the night. That’s why you may find that you wake in the night boiling hot – and in some cases dripping with sweat too.

The key to staying cool is the fabrics you surround yourself with while you sleep. Natural materials tend to be more breathable than synthetic ones – this quality allows a certain amount of your body heat to escape, preventing it from remaining trapped against your skin. That’s why wearing nightwear made from natural fibres is so important to getting more – and better quality – sleep.

So what should you look out for? Cotton is the ideal fabric for bedtime, as it’s both lightweight and breathable, helping you to stay comfy. Linen is both breathable and absorbent, although generally not the most comfortable fabric to wear at night due to its lack of softness. And then of course there’s silk – lightweight, breathable and super soft, these are just some of the qualities that make it popular for nightwear.

Should you sleep naked?

There’s one alternative for what to wear in bed that trumps all the other options – and it’s the most natural of all. Almost one third (30%) of the adults we surveyed like to sleep naked – and with good reason! By doing away with an extra layer, you don’t need to worry about whether it’s breathable or not.

If you do prefer an extra layer of clothes for sleeping, whether you wear a onesie, a hoodie or pyjamas, make sure that you check the fabric label for natural fibres.

Create the perfect sleeping environment

With your natural nightwear sorted, you’re ready for a great night’s sleep, surely? Well, almost. To truly improve your sleep quality, you need to make sure that you’re surrounded in natural fibres – and that means your bedding too.

Cotton sheets and duvet covers will deliver similar benefits to those you’ll get from sleeping in cotton nightwear. However, you won’t get the full heat-regulating benefit from these if you use them to cover a polyester duvet and mattress. The finishing touch in your perfect sleep environment is to choose a natural duvet, pillows, mattress protector or topper and mattress. And the most efficient, heat-regulating material of them all? Surprisingly, it’s wool. This natural fibre is even more breathable and more absorbent than cotton, meaning that it helps to keep your body temperature down and ease the discomfort of night sweats.

With your natural nightwear sorted and your wool duvet and mattress ready, it’s time to put your sleep struggles behind you and discover your best, most refreshing night’s slumber.

Ready to learn more about the many sleep-enhancing benefits of wool bedding? Read 5 Reasons to Buy Wool Bedding.