Dressed for Rest: Can Bedclothes Affect Our Sleep?

Most of us typically think about getting dressed as preparation for our day. We dress to accommodate waking life activities and events. We dress for work or play, for celebrations, chores or to hang out with friends. But because we see sleep as a kind of non-event or inactivity, we typically don’t think in terms of getting dressed for it. We get undressed for sleep.

The limited data we have about bedclothes suggests nearly 40 percent of Americans simply shed their waking attire at bedtime, stripping down to their underwear or birthday suits to sleep. Another 23 percent don shorts and a T-shirt to bed down. In the end, only about one-third of us actually dress up for sleep with pajamas or nightgowns.

Does sleeping nude enable us to feel thoroughly free? Does it allow us to tap into a deep sense of innocence? Whatever it might be, men do so twice as often as women, who wear pajamas or nightgowns four times as often as men. Basic PJs may set the standard for practical, no-nonsense sleep. Does the T-shirt and shorts sleeper view sleep as a stripped down version of waking? Women opt for this slightly more frequently than men do, but less often than choosing lingerie.

We’ve long known that clothing is both functional and social. An extensive body of research confirms that how we dress has a powerful impact on how others perceive us — clothes make the (wo)man. More recent enclothed cognition studies that focus on how clothing influences self-concept reveal that our attire also significantly impacts how we feel about ourselves.

In disrobing at bedtime we shed our waking world personas, revealing deeper aspects of who we are. This private picture of our night self, typically shared only with close friends, family, and intimate partners, is framed by our bedclothes. What might our choices in bedclothes convey about us even prior to sleep?

Given that we are unaware during sleep, does it really matter if we don some silky PJs or a torn T-shirt or nothing at all at bedtime? Can clothing affect our sleep and dream lives in the same way they impact our waking lives? Even beyond the obvious role of bedclothes in our physical comfort, is it possible that making more conscious choices in sleepwear can contribute to better sleep? I think so.

As children, many of us imagined sleep as a rendezvous with fairies, angels or the sandman. In antiquity, night was ushered in by the mighty Greek goddess Nyx, who then delivered us to her son, Hypnos, the sweet-natured god of sleep. Hypnos, in turn, transported us to his son, Morpheus, the magical god of dreams. All three of these deities were commonly depicted in beautiful billowing gowns reflecting the belief that sleep was a celestial affair that inspired grace, reverence and awe.

I believe our bedclothes reflect our fundamental beliefs about sleep and dreams. Whether we look at it through scientific, psychological or spiritual eyes, sleep is an active, mysterious and transformational experience. It immerses us in serenity, facilitates healing, restores vitality, and of course, carries us to the numinous world of dreams. How might we dress if we were invited as a special guest to a real world gala event that promised similar experiences?

Answering this question calls for opening to a new kind of fashion sensibility. One that is as comfortable and practical as pajamas, as natural and fine as silk, and, maybe, as consecrated as a Greek god’s gown. One that is pleasing to the eye, especially the third eye. And one that is designed to support the invocation of that great celestial trio of night, sleep and dreams.

We can all personally participate in the evolution of sleep fashion by experimenting freely with different fabrics and styles. And by noting how our nightclothes impact the quality of our nights. Such a practice is as useful for those concerned with improving their sleep as it is for those wanting to invoke special dreams. Whether our purpose is healing our relationship with sleep or sustaining an already lovely one, it’s truly worth dressing up for.

Share and Enjoy

Tamanchey team got its groove

They’ve Got The Look

Babu (Richa Chadha) A lower middle class girl of Delhi, Babu loves the world of crime. Throwing light on her fashion sense, Nital says, “On her assignments, Babu is dressed in comfortable denims and canvas shoes, but she doesn’t hesitate in using her sexuality to make her way to the top. That’s why we gave Richa sexy outfits like halter tops, hot pants with fishnet stockings and sexy lingerie in certain scenes. Her dressing leans towards garish and cheap.” Richa and the designer went shopping together in Delhi, to pick up the right outfits for her character.

Munna (Nikhil Dwivedi) He’s a small-time gangster from eastern UP who loves guns, shy girls and Hindi films. Nital Ganatra, the costume designer for the movie directed by Navneet Behal, says that Munna’s character sketch was drawn first. She bought Chinese silk fabric for his shirts and matched them with flaming red pants. The canvas shoes that Nikhil sports in the movie were purchased from an army canteen. About Munna’s look in the movie, Nital says, “While he thinks he’s fashionable, in reality, his dressing is very gaudy. But that’s what is funny about him.”

The Bad Guy Damandeep Singh Siddhu, a Delhiite who has done substantial work in theatre, plays Rana, a Haryanvi don in the film. Turns out, casting director Mukesh Chabbra was struggling to find the right actor to play the villain till the nth hour. He says, “We stumbled upon Damandeep by sheer providence and I feel after the film’s release, Damandeep will not have dearth of work.”Tamanchey, produced by Wild Elephants Motion Pictures and FashionTV Films, releases October 10.

Musical Notes

Krsna, the music composer of Tanu Weds Manu, was brought on board to compose two songs for the film — the title song, which also includes the tag line ‘Pyar Mein Dil Pe Maar De Goli’ and Khamakha, a romantic number rendered by Mohit Chauhan.Creating the title track was a challenge for the young composer because the original had been composed by the legendary RD Burman, and was picturised on Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman for Mahaan. Krsna had to make a new tune, weaved out of the old classic. While the song was penned by new lyricist Puneet Sharma, the music composer had the task of choosing the singer.

Considering the original number had vocals by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, the new version had to do justice to it. Krsna felt Bappi Lahiri would be an apt choice.For Khamakha, Mohit Chauhan and Krsna rehearsed for a week before recording it. The composer says, “Mohit had been my first choice for this song. Although Khamakha was the first tune that was composed, it was recorded last because Mohit was constantly travelling.”Arko Pravo Mukherjee was roped in to compose another romantic song, Dildara, which has been rendered by Sonu Nigam. Nikhil recalls hearing Arko play the tune on his guitar at a small gathering. “That very moment, I knew it’s a special song and asked him not to give it to anybody,” says the actor.

Arko adds, “Once Sonu heard the song, he wanted to record immediately.” What’s more, the singer didn’t charge any fee for it.Adding to the soundtrack is In Da Club by Intense, the flamboyant composer from Canada, who was recommended by producer Suryaveer Singh after stumbling upon his music. Suryaveer says, “Intense flew down to India to meet the crew and introduced us to Ikka, a talented desi rapper.”

Share and Enjoy