It’s true that your pyjamas aren’t the same as regular clothes, but that doesn’t mean the material magically behaves differently than it does for everyday wear.

Just like daytime clothes, wearing dirty clothes can cause a number of issues that affect your skin and overall health. While a lot of us are in the habit of re-wearing somewhat grubby clothes to bed, mainly because no one will see, there is a limit of wears between washes that most people are unaware of.

Full of Frills Pyjama Short Set

Why Changing Your Pyjamas Regularly Matters

Just like your bedding, the material of your pyjamas can trap a lot of undesirable elements. Sweat, dirt, hair, and spills can cling onto your pjs, leaving them looking – and smelling – a lot worse than they could be.

Japanese Crane on Coral Women's Long Sleeve Organic Cotton Pyjama Trouser Set

Additionally, pyjamas act as a barrier between the bed and your skin. Lying there for six or more hours a night makes your nightwear a hotbed – pun intended – for germs to cling onto your clothes, and then – onto you.

One expert at Glamour estimates that the skin sheds 30-40,000 cells an hour. Combined over a number of nights, that’s pretty yucky, to say the least. Rubbing against all these nasties won’t be doing your skin any favours, either, leaving it irritated and dirty - even after showering.

How Often Should You Wash Pyjamas?

While recent polls suggest the average person washes their pyjamas after a week of wear, sleep hygiene experts suggest something much more frequent. While famed domestic gurus like Martha Stewart suggest as often as every day, experts using scientific studies as backing suggest every three or four wears. On the other hand, Good Housekeeping suggests every seven days.

Either way, the average person is probably not washing and changing their nightwear nearly enough – even if many people say they wash after a week of wear, there will be those who go much longer without washing, or even an embarrassed few playing coy about how often they change their pjs.

When deciding how regularly you should change your pyjamas, you should consider several factors. If you tend to sweat a lot in bed, or if you have sensitive skin, it’s better to be on the more frequent side of the scale and wash every couple of wears to keep your clothes and body fresh.

Signs It's Time to Change Your Pyjamas

The most obvious sign to put your pjs on to wash is that your pyjamas are stained – whether from food, drinks, cosmetics, or who knows what. Although tempting if no one will see them, you don’t want stains to settle and be difficult – or even impossible – to get rid of.

Piped Edge Bamboo Pyjama Set in Blush

Smell is equally important as sight – do they give off an odour? Do they seem damp, sweaty, or just generally….not fresh? Any smells will rub onto your skin, and no one wants to walk around thinking they smell bad. Worse, still – others may find that you smell and you’re completely oblivious to the smell.

Your body is also a giveaway – if you have sensitive skin or are allergy-prone, or just generally find yourself feeling itchy at night, that is often a sign that you have been re-wearing your pyjamas far too often. Although creams, antiseptics etc for allergy sufferers can help tremendously, putting your pyjamas over damp skin will cause the pyjamas to absorb some of that liquid and become dirtier more quickly. Dampness can also cause itching or irritation, so don’t cancel out your remedies for itchy or irritated skin by creating a cycle.

Wearing Pyjamas All Day: Is It Okay?

While it certainly won’t kill you, wearing pyjamas all day means you should probably change them pretty soon. An average of six-eight hours of sleep is enough to shed hundreds of thousands of tiny skin scales onto your pjs, so imagine a whole day of that – with brushing your hair, cooking and eating meals, drinking, sweating, etc, making your clothes dirty on top of that.

It's also thought that there is a psychological effect of wearing pyjamas – if you work from home, keeping your pjs on instead of getting changed is thought to curb productivity and decrease motivation. Additionally, wearing pyjamas all day is thought to cause a lower, sluggish mood. There’s also the social aspect – many shops turn away people who dress what they deem to be scruffy. Although pyjamas are a common sight in supermarkets, there are numerous reports of major supermarkets turning away customers in pjs – which would not be great for your mood, either.

However, as an occasional treat – especially if you’re unwell – a pyjama day every now and then should cause no overall harm. If you’re dedicating time to be cozy and unwind – this would be beneficial for your overall mood and improve mental health by giving yourself a break.

SHOP NIGHTWEAR