40 winks: Guide to nightwear

Sleep is one of the most important things in our lives and we should do everything to guarantee a good night’s rest. One aspect of sleeping well involves our nightwear. Here’s a guide to finding the most comfortable options for you.

Different Types and Materials

Nightgowns used to refer to a long cotton dress reaching down up the your ankles, but the designs have come a long way from those days. If you are looking for a nightwear, you got plenty of choices available.

The most common types of nightgowns include:

• Baby Doll – A short, sleeveless dress, often made from a transparent material. The dress is loose fitting and can be worn with a matching panty-bra set.
• Slip – A spaghetti-strapped dress that hugs your curves and typically comes in a knee-length design. Often made from satin and includes different decorative designs. For example, you can find them with ruffles or gathers.
• Peignoir Set – A long sleeved nightgown, typically accompanied with a matching outer garment such as a rope. These are generally made from translucent fabrics like chiffon. Usually include a belt and lace finishing.
• Kimono – An Asian style nightgown with an open front and worn like a rope. Often long sleeved and knee length.
• Victorian – A traditional long nightgown made to look like a Victorian era dress. These come in different materials and often have lace detailing and ribbons as decorative elements.
• Shorts and Tops – Many women often wear simple loose shorts and loosely fitting tops. These nightwear options come in many different materials.
• Pyjamas – Another traditional nightwear, consisting of long pants and a t-shirt or a top.
• Onesie – The newest entry to the nightwear club. Onesies are a single dress with a zipper or buttons in from. Often from soft materials such as cotton.

As well as coming in different styles, nightwear also has different material options. The most common nightgown materials include:

• Flannel – This material can either be from cotton or wool, or a mixture of the two. It’s thick, but well insulated. Flannel is among the warmest of materials, although it does breath relatively well.
• Silk – Silk is a soft material and it lets the skin breath well. The fabric can feel lovely and luxurious on your skin, although some find it a bit cold.
• Cashmere – Cashmere is a soft and silky fabric, which tends to stretch well. It’s water resistant, but quite hard to look after, as you can’t machine-wash it.
• Cotton – The most traditional fabric. It’s cool and soft material, which absorbs and releases sweat quickly. It’s also very durable material.
• Bamboo – Bamboo is a new favourite and it feels silky and soft. It’s a natural material and very good at regulating your body temperature. It’s also hypoallergenic.
• Wool and Fleece – If you want something warm, wool and fleece are your picks. They don’t allow the skin to breath as well and can cause itching for some.
• Lace – Some of the fancier nightgowns also feature lace as a material. It’s soft and definitely allows the skin the breath well.

Finding the Right Fit

When you are picking out your nightwear, you must answer the following questions:

What type of material do I like best?

Don’t pick a material, which you don’t like. Silk might sound like a sexy idea, but if you don’t like wearing it, you’re just wasting your money. Visit a store like Marks & Spencer, to test different materials against the skin first.

What occasion will you be wearing the nightgown?

If you are going for a romantic getaway with your partner, you might pick something sexier and opt for a baby doll dress with a chiffon finish. On the other hand, if you want a nightgown to wear every night at home, a comfortable onesie might well be the best pick.

What kind of sleeper are you?

Do you toss and turn at night? Does the smallest of touch wake you up? If you don’t like to be restricted or you move around a lot, you should opt for something loosely fitting and avoid decorative detailing.

Shopping Tips for Nightwear

When it comes to shopping for a nightwear, you have plenty of options available. For the more traditional styles, retailers such as John Lewis and Debenhams have plenty of options. If you are after something a little bit sexier Ann Summers or Camille Lingerie are worth checking out on Voucherbin.co.uk.

The key is to have an idea of what you want and decide a price range for your nightgown. If you are looking for a bargain, then check shops such as H&M, and don’t forget to look for voucher codes. If you are shopping online, ensure to check the size guide carefully. You want to nightgown to be just the right fit to ensure it doesn’t bother you.

Women have a lot of choice when it comes to finding the best nightgowns. You just have to figure out the style you are after and carefully choose the right material to guarantee a goodnight sleep!