What Pajamas Should You Wear for a Good Night’s Sleep?

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Sleep is hot right now. Arianna Huffington recently wrapped up a nationwide tour that aimed to teach college students how to get more rest, and The Atlantic published an entire guide to sleeping better earlier this year. And in the last two years alone, studies have shown that getting more sleep could improve your patience, strengthen your immune system, and boost your sex life, and that sleeping too little can make you gain weight and raises your chance of contracting pretty much any infectious disease.

The general consensus is that most adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep per night — and if you think you can get by on less, you’re probably fooling yourself. A 2003 study restricted groups of people to four, six, or eight hours of sleep per night for 14 days. By day 10, the group that got six hours a night was performing as poorly on cognitive tests as people who had been sleep-deprived for 3 days straight — but they told the researchers they were barely sleepier than they had been at the beginning of the experiment.

Since you can’t take shortcuts, how do you make the most of those crucial eight(ish) hours? Sure, you could cut down on screen time, start working out, and quit napping, smoking, and drinking coffee. All that stuff is great for you, plus you’ll get better sleep. But changing your entire lifestyle is hard, and also boring, so I consulted some sleep therapists in search of an easier option. And guess what, it turns out there is one other thing you can do to improve your sleep: You can buy new pajamas.

Dr. Joseph Krainin, the founder of Singular Sleep, told me that the key to high-quality sleep is to keep your bedroom cool (ideally no warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit) and stay cozy with warmer bedding and PJs. Once winter finally comes, avoid cranking up the heat in your bedroom and snuggle into something like this retro-cute flannel set to stay warm from cold-temperature experts L.L.Bean.

If you can’t afford to blast the AC in the meantime, Dr. Krainin recommends cotton, because it “helps disperse body heat and moisture to keep you cool and non-clammy.” Everlane has some very well-reviewed 100 percent cotton options, or try this paper-thin Hanro chemise if you’re looking to maximize both breathability and nipple visibility.

To get deep and restorative sleep, Dr. Elliott Alpher of The Alpher Center agrees that temperature is key — but his No. 1 tip is to sleep nude, since clothing can provide enough insulation to cause overheating. If you’re a never-nude (or just a never-sleep-nude), he recommends you opt for “silk and organic loose, flowing materials.” For maximum luxury, try this silk charmeuse pajama set from Christine Lingerie, or this 100 percent silk duo from Julianna Rae. Dr. Alpher describes silk as a “magical thermoregulator that can keep you warm when you’re cold and cool when you’re hot.”

If you’re not willing or able to shell out for silk, try bamboo, which is both moisture-wicking and hypoallergenic. Yala has some great minimalist options, or check out surfer-chic Australian brand Chalmers.

But the real key to picking the perfect pajamas is to make sure they’re comfortable for you. According to Matt Bianchi, the director of the Sleep Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, there’s been very little rigorous scientific investigation into what you should be wearing to bed, so the best sleepwear (or pillow, or bedding, or mattress) for you is “dominated by individual preference” — aka totally subjective. So if polyester makes you dozy or you can only sleep in lingerie, go right ahead and buy the PJs of your dreams. It’s definitely easier than giving up TV and taking up kickboxing.