# Poll: Sleepwear habits by age **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987 "2003-11-18T22:19:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/41 "2003-11-20T06:28:11Z")
Up until my early teens I switched off between a long shirt and underwear (summer) and pajamas (winter). Now it’s just a shirt and boxers. Sometimes if I’m at a friend’s house or something I’ll just sleep in my clothes (usually I’m just wearing a t-shirt and shorts so it’s not that bad) but most of the time it’s t-shirt and boxers. I’ve tried the birthday suit but I feel too cold and vulnurable, even if it’s a warm night. It’s interesting, because it seems many people seemed to have ditched clothes in their mid 20s. I’m 20 right now, so maybe I’m almost due for growing out of it… ---
**Author:** ![stupidgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@stupidgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stupidgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/42 "2003-11-20T13:37:12Z")
I agree with **elfkin477** - I can’t generally sleep when I’m naked! I think probably because I worry about running out of my burning flat naked… I generally sleep wearing a tee-shirt and underwear. I think. Though sometimes I wear long socks and jumpers as well… (Oh, I’m 20 and female). ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/43 "2003-11-20T15:16:32Z")
Until I got married (a month before my 30th birthday) I wore PJs to bed. My favorites were men’s cotton pajamas, and I hated gowns and frilly nighties. Now the only time I wear anything to bed is when it’s particularly chilly or if we’re visiting someone where we have to share the bathroom - I’ll don a big baggy t-shirt. Otherwise, it’s just me between the sheets. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/44 "2003-11-20T15:24:43Z")
I wear cute cotton pj’s until it’s time to sleep, and then I take off the pants part. I don’t like being constricted. When my b/f is over, I usually sleep nude or in underwear only. He always sleeps in boxers, rarely fully naked. Mmmm, pj’s and sleep… I love my pj’s so much that I put them on as soon as I get home from work. ---
**Author:** ![Jonmarzie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jonmarzie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonmarzie)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/45 "2003-11-20T17:26:53Z")
20 male. Until I got to college last year, I’ve just worn my boxers and a t-shirt to bed. Last year, though, I wore whatever I had on during the day to bed, complete with blue jeans, belt, and everything in my pockets. It really wasn’t that bad, especially if I got up late and didn’t have time to change into my other clothes. I’d literally get out of bed, get my backpack, and go. (On another note, I did everything in my jeans. I worked out, played soccer, and everything.) However, I related this story to my mom when I was home over the summer, and she bought me a few pairs of pj’s. I took the hint and now wear the flannel bottoms and no shirt. None of my three roomies wear shirts to bed either. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/46 "2003-11-20T18:54:56Z")
24, female, white, middle-class, Southern, gay, corporate librarian…single, no children. I sleep in my clothes. Whatever I wore that day. Now that I’m working in a place where I have to dress business (bleagh), I change into jeans and a sweatshirt or something when I get home, and sleep in that. Last night it was military pants (with elastic waistband, but hip-hugging), and a one-piece sweaterjacket top thing. I need something constricting around me, I guess like swaddling, for comfort, or I feel exposed and get paranoid. I have a thick comforter, too, and like to sleep with the sheets tightly tucked. Maybe I’m trying to crawl back into the womb? I like to make sure I’m hidden when I’m sleeping. I used to sleep in nightshirts, so this must have started during puberty/into high school. I like it to be somewhat cold, and I’ve trained myself to sleep with socks on (for years I kicked them off). I can sleep in the nude, and always do with girlfriends. My habit came in handy when I lived without heat during grad school. I often wore a ski cap to bed as well. But people seem to think I’m weird. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/47 "2003-11-20T19:22:44Z")
With me, it’s almost completely dependent on my whim that night and the weather. If I’m cold, it’s generally flannel jammies, but sometimes it’s panties or naked and extra blankets on the bed. Sometimes it’s panties and a shirt, sometimes it’s a short nightgown or satin jammies, and every once in a while I crawl into bed still wearing my scrubs. I’ve been all over the map like that since I was in my very early teens; before that I was pretty consistently a nightgown wearer, with the occasional summertime foray into undies only. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/48 "2003-11-20T20:24:05Z")
Late 20’s male. 0-8 Underwear or pajamas (with feet) not by choice. 8 - 10 just underwear and very rarely nude. 10 - Current Nude. It is just more comfortable not to be wearing a bunch of hot clingy clothing. Very rarely will I sleep with something on and that is usually when I am napping. At 10 I started getting more privacy than before and could sleep without anything on since I didn’t feel like someone would interrupt my privacy. It is better now when playmates come over because there isn’t as much prep work needed when we enjoy our night time activities. Still, condoms and lube are a hassle at that time but at least we don’t have to worry about waistbands getting in the way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/49 "2003-11-20T20:50:07Z")
20 year old female here. From when I was a toddler to about 6 or 7, I either wore some sort of baby pajamas or a nightgown. After a while I made it perfectly clear that it wasn’t gonna happen, so I just slept in old shirts until about 10 or 11. Then I added pajama bottoms or shorts. Around 15 or so, I just ditched clothing as a sleepwear option unless I had guests or was staying over someone’s house. I almost always sleep in the nude when I can, but living in a dorm highly restricts this, so back to shirts and pajama bottoms. ::frowns:: ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/50 "2003-11-21T00:04:19Z")
Always wore some kind of jammies until I moved out of my parents’ house. Now I vary from wearing a sweatsuit to pajamas to a nightie to underpants to nothing, mostly just depending on my whims, what feels comfortable at the time, and whatever’s clean. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/51 "2003-11-21T02:58:30Z")
baby to 5 or so= I wore PJ’s all the time, cause I was paranoid that the house would catch on fire and I would have to crawl out a window and not have time to put on clothing :smack: 6-10= nightgowns mostly 11-now= undies, possibly undies and a bra. Thats about it. Nowadays I can’t stand wearing pants to bed. If someone is over for the night, or Im over at a friends, Il wear a large shirt, or a pj set, but I hate wearing anything to bed. ---
**Author:** ![AngryChinchilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@AngryChinchilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngryChinchilla)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/52 "2003-11-21T03:33:49Z")
As a kid, I used to sleep in a nightgown until I was about…right before I turned 12. Then it was pj pants and a shirt or a two peice pj thing. Then about 14-16 it was boxer shorts and a tanktop. Then until about last year it was back to pants and a tshirt. I started sleeping naked in grade 12. I told my mom I did this so no one would walk into my room. I did this everynight until my friend who was living here last month came in and said, “Can I sleep in here tonight?” And I’m like, well yeah, just get out for a second and he’s all, why are you naked? Of course. And he got freaked and left. Lol. So since then I’m back to pants and a tshirt just incase he walked in again. He doesn’t live here anymore but now I can’t go back. I started going in the nude because I read in a magazine you get the best night’s sleep naked. So I tried and voilla, it worked. Maybe because it’s winter and it’s cold in my house so I stopped. Who knows. ---
**Author:** ![dejahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dejahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dejahma)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/53 "2003-11-21T15:14:01Z")
49 Socks only since age of about 15. Lately I have been able to do without socks in the summer months and occasionally in the winter due to hormonal heating. Dejahpa is still surprised by my sometimes sockless appearance. Now that the kiddies have flown the coop we can once again enjoy ‘naked coffee’ in the am. yummmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/54 "2003-11-21T17:00:24Z")
Always wore some sort of jammies until my teens then I chenged to a T-shirt. Once I moved out of my parents house and became sexually active, I pretty much slept naked until I moved to Germanyin my 20s where it was freakin cold and the house had very little heat where I slept in as much thermal clothing as I could possibly wear. In Italy in my 30s I discovered nice lingerie. Now I wear the lingerie in the winter and I sleep nude inteh summer or if I have “company” ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/55 "2003-11-21T20:12:07Z")
When I was in college I generally slept in whatever I was wearing that day. Now I go for T-shirts with Adidas Track Pants with a sweatshirt option for cold nights. I do own a set of flannel Pajamas, but I never wear them. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/56 "2003-11-21T20:23:48Z")
Buff and 57 ---
**Author:** ![JibberingFool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@JibberingFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JibberingFool)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/57 "2003-11-28T22:37:05Z")
I don’t really have “sleepware”, as such. I’m not going to go change into specific clothing for sleeping. Usually, I’ll just begin a process of undressing and stop at some point or another. Shoes and socks go first, then anything on the upper body, then lower body. I sleep wearing trousers a fair bit. If I stop too soon, I’ll wake up in the night and take off the offending sweatshirt or whatever. I’ll strip down to underwear or nothing at all if I’m sharing a bed… not because I’m hoping for something to happen, but because I can’t imagine it’s very pleasant having riveted denim against your skin while you’re trying to sleep. If it’s just a nap, fully clothed. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Curious\_Writer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@A\_Curious\_Writer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Curious_Writer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/58 "2003-11-29T00:31:29Z")
Mid 30s mail 0-13 or so, pajamas 14-present, pajamas in the winter (or sweats if it’s really chilly), boxers in the summer w/no top Along about puberty, I became less needful of heavy pj’s, as I just didn’t get as chilly, but you know, like some of you I can’t stand to be naked, I just can’t sleep that way. If nothing else, I need some sort of underwear, even if it’s only so I don’t have to worry so much if there’s a fire. (And like some of you, I had lots of fire alarms going off in my dorm in college, so I needed them.) I think it all depends on how one stands heat or not - I was stunned to find that the correlation I expected between warm weather climes and naked sleeping just isn’t there. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/59 "2003-11-29T03:36:44Z")
Choices are many: Sometimes in whatever I’m wearing at the time anyways. I get lazy and figure that it’s all getting washed anyways. Sometimes in pajama pants, but that’s b/c I wear them b/c they’re comfortable Sometimes in boxers and nothing/something covering my torso. Once naked. That was nice, and that would be how I would sleep, were it not for my family. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987/60 "2003-11-29T04:46:44Z")
Hmmm. Well 19 and male here. 0 - 8? Pajamas. He-Man r0xx0r3d. So did Batman. 8 - Now: T-shirt (generally the one I wore that day) and tighty-whities or rarely boxers. I agree with a poster who said they need to feel that comforting covering. Just blankets don’t give me that sensation for some reason I can’t define. Its ironic, in a way, because I go commando during the day time (except when wearing really baggy shorts) and then change into underwear for sleep. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sleepwear-habits-by-age/213987.md?page=4)