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Perhaps you should think again about wearing pyjamas in bed. Here's why...

<em>It might not be the best idea to wear pyjamas in bed, according to sleep expert Professor Jim Ellis (Picture: Getty)</em>
It might not be the best idea to wear pyjamas in bed, according to sleep expert Professor Jim Ellis (Picture: Getty)

Do you wear pyjamas to bed? If you’re among the 45% Brits who don’t, if seems you might have the right idea.

According to sleep expert Professor Jason Ellis, director of the Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research, pyjamas aren’t always helpful when it comes to us getting a good night’s kip.

Speaking on Yahoo News UK podcast Britain is a Nation of…, Prof Ellis said: “Our body temperature changes when we sleep, so in the evening we start to cool down and then in the early hours of the morning we heat up again.

“And so that can actually be a bit of a problem if you’re wearing pyjamas or something else because that’s not going to help you regulate you own temperature very well.”

Listen to the full episode of Britain is a Nation of… below

If you are desperate to wear something in bed, cotton and silk are the best materials to opt for, he said.

“These two allow you to breathe and they help regulate your own body temperature,” he said, adding: “The difficulty comes because as women get to a certain age they are going to have hot flashes in the night and that’s going to compound the problem of that temperature regulation.”

But if you’re addicted to your PJs, don’t worry. Prof Ellis has some helpful tips on avoiding overheating in bed.

“If ever you’re really hot in bed, take your ankles out from under the duvet,” he suggests.

<em>Sticking your feet out of the duvet will help cool you down, according to sleep expert Professor Jason Ellis (Picture: Getty)</em>
Sticking your feet out of the duvet will help cool you down, according to sleep expert Professor Jason Ellis (Picture: Getty)

“We lose our heat through our head, our hands and our feet. The hands and the head are already out so there’s only one place to lose heat quickly and that’s from the ankles.”

YouGov omnibus research previously asked Britons whether they wear pyjamas to bed, pyjamas and underwear or no pyjamas.

Its results suggest the older you are, the less likely you are to wear PJs, while women and younger people are slightly more likely to don pyjamas for bedtime.

When when it comes to wearing pyjamas and underwear in bed, it’s a habit most common in young women.

Another reason to steer clear of pyjamas is the hygiene factor. A 2015 survey by a mattress company revealed that the average length of time people go between washing their pyjamas is two weeks.

To hear more unpacking of statistics about British people, listen to the full episode above, or download it on Apple Podcasts, Acast, or Spotify to listen while on the go.