The Overlooked Wardrobe Item None of Us Should Neglect

Why Pajamas Are Key to Our Health and Happiness

Many of us are tired by the end of the day—way too tired to care what clothes we choose to wear to bed. If we’re lucky, we’ve managed to brush our teeth, turn out the lights (and left the smartphones charging outside of the bedroom!) and wash off our makeup before we pass out on the pillow. But thinking about pajamas? Not so much. 

A simple wellness tip: think about them! Think about your pajamas.

Why?  Because getting a good night’s sleep is the epitome of healthiness.  We worry about what we eat and our exercise habits.  We should also be worrying about our sleep habits.  Our beds are simply for sleeping and for sex.  They are not a place for eating dinner or sorting the day’s mail or catching up on last season’s Game of Thrones. Just because its uses should be limited, doesn’t mean the bed isn’t important. And that’s exactly why you might want to think about what you slip on before you slip in.

Feeling good on the inside sometimes comes from looking good on the outside.  Wearing your old college sweatshirt to bed, your boyfriend’s favorite t-shirt or yesterday’s clothes doesn’t necessarily do much for your self-esteem. And if you choose to sleep with someone else, getting into bed in these old, most likely to big and unflattering clothes does not do much to inspire romantic thoughts and behaviors.

Instead, I challenge you to find something that you feel good in to wear to bed. I bet you’ll feel better and sleep better (and we all need that – to the tune of 7-9 hours of sleep each and every night according to the latest research). And if you’re sharing your bed with a partner, I bet they’ll appreciate it, too. Treat yourself to some nice, new P.J.s. You’ll be glad you did.

The original version of this post appeared in huffingtonpost.com