Pyjamas Or Undies? What's The Best Sleeping Attire?

Written By Alex Petrović

Certified Sleep Consultant

11 June 2024 8 min read

When you are heading off to bed you want to feel comfy, fresh and pleasant in your sleepwear. You don’t want anything on you to be too tight or to make you feel too warm. But, how far should you actually go in order to reach the perfect comfort?

Should you give your underwear some time off or should you maybe give all of your sleepwear a time off? Should you turn on a cooling fan before the sleep to cool down your room? Or, is the key to comfort just in a right material? Let’s find more about all of the fashion options for sleepy time!

Just before we list our options, let’s see what are our criteriums for judging going to be. So, health and hygiene will take the first place, then the comfort and the looks. So, let’s begin!

Ladies' hygiene and health

Women need an extra care when it comes to their intimate region. Many experts say that, in order to prevent infections, ladies should choose underwear made from loose and breathable materials that are tender to touch and don’t irritate the skin. Also, sleeping without underwear can possibly be bad for women’s health.

Gents' hygiene and health

Experts say that lose fitting underwear can benefit men’s fertility. So, in general, men should avoid wearing very tight underwear to sleep, and they are pretty much good to go. Also, men too should be careful when choosing the fabric. Breathable materials ensure better hygiene.

The comfort

This aspect is very important because it influences the how you sleep. The question of comfort really comes down to personal preferences. Some general advice is to pick sleepwear that is loose, made of natural materials, breathable and that doesn’t keep you too warm during the night. Try to have fewer layers possible and choose the pajamas or underwear that are made of cotton or silk.

Also, ladies can boost comfort of they go without a bra.

The right temperature

We know how much the right temperature is important for the good night’s sleep. Experts agree that a bit cooler environment benefits the quality of sleep. So, choose materials that can breathe and that are not going to leave you sweating through the night during the warmer months of the year.

Spicing up the relationship

Choosing the right sleepwear can spark some fire in the bedroom. Go for materials that are pleasant to touch and that have quiet, peaceful, calming colours. Also, pay attention to the cut so that you can shop the sleepwear that complements your body shape.

Full cover – Pajamas and underwear

This is a somewhat conventional option, wearing both pyjamas and underwear. So, what are the pros and cons?

Pro: Maybe the best choice for hygiene, both for the women and the men. Doesn’t take a toll on comfort and makes the colder months more pleasant.

Con: Can be too hot for warmer months. The breathability is reduced if the underwear is not made of natural materials.

Loosen up – Pajamas without underwear

You feel like the underwear is a bit unnecessary when you go to sleep? You want to relax in your loose clothes, and undies are just bothering you? Let’s see what’s good about this choice!

Pro: This option provides more breathability in general. Certainly, a nice choice for the summer. Can benefit male fertility.

Con: Can have a negative effect on hygiene, especially for ladies.

Semi-dressed – Only underwear

Maybe you don’t want to lose the undies, but the pyjamas just make you too hot? What about ditching the pyjamas?

Pro: Still a lot of freedom but without the risk for hygiene. Good option for the summer if you find it difficult to handle the heat.

Con: Well, same as if you were wearing both pajamas and underwear, the fabric would still be right on your skin. So, if you don’t like this sensation when sleeping, this option doesn’t do much for you.

How to choose the right pyjamas?

1. Fabric – Go for the cotton, pure silk or flannel during the winter months. Silk is maybe the best choice for the sleepwear material. It’s natural, breathable and regulates the temperature. Plus, it feels great on the skin.  
2. The shape & the cut – The main rule here is to avoid tight sleepwear. Choose loose-fitting pyjamas that will provide you with comfort during the night. Avoid pyjamas that are tight around waist, neck or wrists.
3. Colour – So, the colour of your pajamas can be very important if you are sharing the bed with your partner. Go for colours that can make us feel sleepy and calm, such as shades of blue and other colder colours. Skip the colours that make us alert and awake, such as red. Here are some ideas for the elegant and cute pajamas colours:

• Porcelain or powder white – Great for a classy look, complements various skin tones
• Lemonade, blush or ballet slipper pink – Tender, cute, playful but calm shades
• Lavender or orchid purple – Really elegant, royal choices
• Sky, azure, cobalt or arctic blue – Peaceful and calm, elegant but smooth
• Silver or flint grey – Calm and really classy, can’t make a mistake with these two
• The look – You can go for a classy, elegant, sporty or casual look as long as you avoid pyjamas that have any details that can make you feel uncomfortable. We all know that you should avoid jewellery when you go to bed because it is uncomfortable and even dangerous. So, skip pyjamas that have too many or large buttons, firm and big embroilments, tight laces or bands.

How to choose the right underwear?

1. Fabric – Same as for pyjamas, go for tender, smooth and pleasant natural material.
2. The shape & the cut – When it comes to the ladies, there is really one shape that you should avoid and that is a thong. Experts usually mention this shape as the one that is dangerous for the female intimate health and hygiene.
3. Colour – Well, this depends on whether you are combining your underwear with pyjamas or are you going for the looser option. So, if your underwear is visible, also chose the calm and “sleepy” colours.
4. The look – Avoid underwear that has too much going on, like buttons, tight laces, solid ornaments or anything else that can make you uncomfortable during the night. Go for a simple look to boost the comfort. But, if you want to be fashionable about your underwear, do it with colours, not with uncomfortable shapes or materials.

Au naturel – there is this option too

So, you tried going without the undies, and then without the pyjamas but with the undies, and you can’t reach that perfect comfy feeling quite yet? Have you considered losing all the clothes when going to bed?

Some people can’t imagine a more relaxing way to go to sleep then to roll into the sheets straight from a nice, warm bath. Without any clothes, of course. Other people can’t relax if they are not fully dressed in bed. So, if you are considering this idea, let’s see what some pros and cons are.

There is opinion, even among some experts, that sleeping without any clothes on can actually benefit the women’s intimate health. The intimate area could breathe more which would reduce moisture that is beneficial to bacteria.

This is a bit unconventional opinion, but since it has some good points, we can admit that this might work for some ladies quite well. There is something else that you might gain from sleeping without pyjamas, and that’s more intimacy with your partner. Sleeping with no sleepwear can do some good for the romance and closer relationship. Jus make sure you room temperature is good.

So, since we’ve discussed all the options let’s sum the things up!

Conclusion

When it comes to the sleepwear, the bottom line is, it’s really a matter of personal preference. Only two aspects here can have a common answer for everyone, and those are hygiene and health. The part about the comfort is really personal, some people enjoy thin and lite materials, others like to feel snuggled in some puffy soft pyjamas. So, when choosing your sleeping attire, whatever your preferences may be, just be sure to go for natural, breathable materials. Also, choose loose-fitting sleepwear so that you can feel really comfortable during the night.

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About the author

Alex Petrović

Sleep Consultant

A CPD certified Sleep Consultant with more than 2000 hours of research into all the different ways we can get a great night's sleep. As a former insomniac, I know how difficult life can be without a nightly recovery and I love that I get to share everything I've learned with you all. So hopefully we can all sleep soundly!