Female sleeping clothes on the road

[Alexis797]

Hi All, 

Newbie here.  Wondering what other females sleep in on the road.  I wear pjs at home, but that wouldn't be appropriate for van life.  I'm thinking of something like a loose fitting tshirt and yoga pants. . .comfortable but not obviously pjs if I have to step out to use the facilities.  Leggings have always been too warm for me to sleep in- the pants have to be loose fitting.  

Feedback please!  Hitting the road next week and still at a loss.

 

[DLTooley]

I sleep clothed, usually changing/washing mid-late afternoon and after any ‘dirty’ activity.

 

[maki2]

Experimenting with other options besides pj-s does not amount to risky behavior. People wear or don't wear whatever they want to bed. You don't have to stick with what your mom made you do. Shake it up...try something different. Most often I sleep in my clothes, or in sweats or in fleece, sometimes in PJs. I don't wear things that are too tight or need ironing. I wear heavy fleece pajama pants in the winter when it is really cold. I wear what makes sense to me at the time and location and situation. I have no daily "routine" for bedtime clothing and I am a woman. There is no sex differentiated rule for bed time clothing unless of course your goal is to be sexy and/or to wear clothing that you think is associated with feeling like a female. The main thing is this is your choice, you do not have to make a choice based on what other people are doing.

 

[maki2]

But I do think that perhaps your concern about what wear to sleep is related to personal safety concerns and the ability to get up and go outside at a moments notice without feeling like you got caught in your pajamas in front of strangers who might be passing by. Part of that has to do with the fear of sexual predators or other criminals or having the rangers, police or other strangers knocking on your door in the middle of the night. These situations are not easy for many women to deal with in terms of anxiety. So sure a Tshirt and yoga pants make perfect sense for night time wear as an offset for the potential discomfort of being caught in your pj-s.

 

[kodandi]

I sleep in gym clothes. I do see people in pajamas all the time at stores so I wouldn't worry too much if you're in a store in the middle of the night in fuzzy bunny pajama pants. And it is so important to change into some sort of pajamas too!!! I know so many people that just sleep in their clothes, but that can be a huge hygiene problem.

 

[maki2]

I sleep in gym clothes. I do see people in pajamas all the time at stores so I wouldn't worry too much if you're in a store in the middle of the night in fuzzy bunny pajama pants. And it is so important to change into some sort of pajamas too!!! I know so many people that just sleep in their clothes, but that can be a huge hygiene problem.

not sure why it is any more of a hygiene problem to wear yoga pants versus pajama pants.   If you are going to change into them at bed time and change out of them in the morning what hygiene issue is there?

No one is suggesting wearing grungy clothes to sleep in.

 

[GypsyJan]

I wear a loose cotton night shirt...makes using the camping potty in the dark faster.

 

[maki2]

I sleep in gym clothes. I do see people in pajamas all the time at stores so I wouldn't worry too much if you're in a store in the middle of the night in fuzzy bunny pajama pants. And it is so important to change into some sort of pajamas too!!! I know so many people that just sleep in their clothes, but that can be a huge hygiene problem.

Just out of curiousity I did a web search for how often people wash their pj's. I found an article that stated a mattress company had recently done a survey on that subject. The result was for women the average time between washing was 17 days and for men it was 14 days. Now I wash my clothes once a week and during that week I normally have 4 pairs of jeans go into the wash and 5 or so shirts plus a couple of jackets and of course undies and bedding. So basically my day clothes spend many fewer hours on my body between washing than the average person's pajamas do. The inside of our clothing be it pajamas or day wear gets a similar amount of skin cells per hour shed on them unless you are doing vigorous activities during the day. So it sounds to me like pajamas are a huge hygiene problem if that survey was typical    You can find most any subject has had a survey done on it with the results showing up on the internet.  It is a big funny world with a lot of misconceptions floating around in it.

 

[jacqueg]

This time of year, I wear sweatshirts and loose fleece pants.

When it gets warmer, I'll be wearing yoga pants and tees.

None of them can be identified as night clothes, and sometimes I'm wearing them at night, and sometimes during the day. But if I wear them during the day, I change clothes at night. Mostly habit I suppose, but I don't like to wear the outer clothes I've been wearing all day to bed at night. I think it does keep the sheets cleaner.

 

[Cammalu]

Ya know sometimes you just want to treat yourself a little better to maintain a more comfortable life. I love slipping into a pair of soft, clean jammies at night. It feels like such a luxury to be able to sleep in clean jammies and clean sheets. I usually wear jammies a couple of days before they are thrown into the laundry bag.

Never underestimate how much a little thing can give you great comfort.

 

[maki2]

In this life I know one thing for sure. Everyone has their own ideas about what they consider to be a luxury treat. For me lying down on a bed after a long day and drifting off to sleep always feels excellent no matter what I am wearing

 

[bandaidqueen]

I usually change into my night clothes at the gym after I shower, and walk out of the gym wearing those, so I also choose to wear something not too pajama-like. Usually some sweatpants and a tee shirt. This is especially important if I shower at work!

 

[rhondaweasley]

I am proably the wrong person to ask as nothing I slept in changed in the minivan. If I wasn't comfy opening my door in what I slept in, I keep an easy to slip on coverup nearby. But as a solo traveler, I've been known to drive in a pair of comfy pj pants and a sweatshirt. As long as you are covered and can thrown on your driving shoes, you should be fine.

 

[Firebuild]

I'm a dress wearer in my waking hours, leggings if I absolutely have to, and my sleep style is, I tend to sleep in the dress I wore that day. I just take off my underthings and keep the. same thing on. It goes in the laundry the next morning, and the next dress becomes that night's PJs. One advantage is I always have my clothes on.

I've had people criticize it as somehow unhygienic but after reading how infrequently people wash their PJs I think I will stick to my method.

 

[Almost There]

Once one realizes that as long as you're parked where you're legally allowed to be whether it's a parking lot or a campground, most get over their fear of being woken in the night.

I'll admit that in the first year of being on the road full-time I actually slept in a nightshirt so that if I had to get up in a hurry I'd at least have my body covered. That was 20 years ago when we didn't have access to all the information on where to park legally etc.

After that first year I reverted to what I normally wore to bed and was so much more comfortable. What I wear is nothing!

My curtains are closed, no one can see  in and I'm under the covers...who cares!

Wear what you're comfortable in- you'll sleep better than if you're not so comfy!

 

[nature lover]

This thread says "women sleep attire" but I want to chime in with the last poster. As a part of the Plain community (Amish etc.) I grew up appreciating modest attire for both sexes (in public) and I think the world would be a lot better if everyone lived like that. BUT - sleeping in the privacy of my own place (van) is a different story. Bed clothes other that blankets and sheets are a pain. Yes I sleep in what my grandma called my "birthday suit". So if you knock on my rig's door at night be patient I am putting something on and will be with you shortly.

 

[hotelplus]

Agreed. It would be hassle to wear nightgowns but it depends on the location wherein. If you know that place is peaceful then opt for your usual pj or lingerie but if it is a busy place then yoga would do.

 

[TMooney]

Man commenting here. I've always been against women wearing anything to bed . But alas .most always do. If I can get away with it I don't sleep in anything. That's a luxury . But on the road I never got to. I think a person on the road should be ready to spring into action for their own safety. You should be ready to drive away. That's my road rule on dress.

 

[GypsyJan]

Oh...I am not supposed to drive nekked? Now you tell me!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

If it is freezing out I sleep with fleece shirt and pants, a hat under a comforter inside a sleeping bag, if it is hot under or on a sheet naked. As the temp changes I adapt different degrees of these extremes. I don’t worry about if I have to move in a hurry. If on a hot day the vehicle next to me is on fire I will likely drive off naked and I trust that everyone will understand.