Struggling to find the right pajamas for yourself or an elderly parent or grandparent? The most important factors to consider are comfort, ease of use, and breathable, absorbent fabrics.
Look for loose pajamas with elastic waists or pull-on pants without complicated closures. Softer fabrics like cotton, silk, and bamboo allow air to circulate and prevent overheating. For incontinence, choose moisture-wicking materials to keep skin dry overnight.
Quality sleepwear should be easy to pull on and take off arthritic hands and not constrict joint movement. Prioritize soft, stretchy clothes that don’t bind or chafe aging skin. Proper nightclothes can ensure your senior rests comfortably all night long.
With some simple guidance, you can find sleepwear that maximizes your older loved one’s comfort and helps them sleep soundly. This article provides tips to make the selection process easy.
My Top Recommended Sleepwear Items For Older Adults
Cool-Jams Moisture Wicking Pajamas and Sleepwear
Cool-jams is an American-owned company specializing in cooling textile products for hot sleepers, menopause, and people who have night sweats. So, if you or an older loved one seem to spend your nights tossing and turning because you are just too hot, take a closer look at their products.
They offer sleepwear for both men and women. You can get full-coverage pajama sets, minimal sleep shirts, and sets or just shorts for men. They are all made of proprietary moisture-wicking materials that are breathable and temperature-regulating for better sleep. They are lightweight, wrinkle-resistant, and easy to care for too!
Nautica’s Cotton Pajama Pants
These lightweight pajama pants are made of 100% cotton, making the ideal comfortable wear for seniors looking for fitting, easy to wear and wash sleeping pants. These pants have an elastic waistband and adjustable drawstring that can be conveniently used by your elderly loved one. The best part is that these pajama pants come in various colors and designs at an affordable price.
Women’s 7pc Polyester Pajama Set by Sheln
Who says your loved one cannot stay stylish yet comfortable when going to bed? This women’s 7pc pajama set is an ideal acquisition since your loved one gets a lot of options on what to wear when going to bed. In the set, you will find a pair of shorts, a pair of pants, a shirt, a cami, a hair tie and band, and an eye mask.
Adaptive Sleepwear Collection By Ovidis
This specialty clothing label focuses primarily on developing adaptive sleepwear that can be used by people with mobility issues, reduced finger dexterity, and declining cognitive abilities, such as the elderly and seniors with dementia. The sleepwear collection by Ovidis features different sleepwear designs for both men and women, all made of different high-quality, easy-to-maintain materials such as silk, cotton, and polyester.
Keyocean Nightgown
This traditional nightgown design is ideal if you want to get your loved one comfortable sleepwear. The long sleeves make it ideal for chilly nights, not to mention that it is easy to wash and maintain.
Thermal Breathable Wool Socks By Alvada
For cold nights, consider acquiring these thermal socks for your loved one. These soft socks are 80% wool, which will quickly warm your loved one’s feet. They are also breathable and have moisture-wicking capability, meaning they can regulate your loved one’s temperature and absorb sweat if it gets too warm at night.
How Does Sleepwear Influence Sleep?
Sleepwear is any clothing worn when a person is going to sleep, such as pajamas, nightgowns, tee shirts, boxers and other types of innerwear, and socks.
Sleep is meant to be when the mind and body can rest and invigorate in readiness for a new day. For this to happen, your body must be fitted in something comfortable and relaxing. For seniors, getting a perfect night’s sleep can be a mirage, especially if they wear something uncomfortable.
The sleepwear worn by a senior can greatly impact their sleep patterns. For example, if they wear lightweight clothing, they might get too cold at night, meaning sleep won’t come easy. If they sweat excessively at night, the wrong sleepwear can be stuffy and stick to the body, which means finding sleep will be virtually impossible.
Additionally, if they wear bedclothes that are hard to fasten and unfasten, they might spend too much time in the bathroom, so they will be too awake to fall back to sleep quickly.
So, yes, your choice of sleepwear is important.
Tips for Selecting Great Sleepwear for the Elderly
Following are some tips to help you buy the best sleepwear for older adults.
1. Understand What You or Your Loved One Likes
Before shopping, check out your loved one’s wardrobe to identify their favorite sleepwear. Though you may shakeup things when buying sleepwear, the majority of the clothes that you buy should be items your loved one prefers to wear to bed. Further, the items should be in their favorite colors.
2. Buy Comfortable Items
If your elderly loved one wears items they find uncomfortable to bed, quality sleep will be hard to come by. Ensure that you select loose-fitting items that are comfortable and fit well.
3. Consider Your Loved One’s Ailments and Condition
If your loved one has any ailments, they can influence the ideal sleepwear to wear to bed. For example, if they are allergic to nylon and plastics, you cannot purchase sleepwear made of nylon fabric.
Before buying sleepwear, you should also consider your loved one’s medical condition. For example, if they have problems with excessive sweating and passing incontinence at night, they should focus on buying highly absorbent yet comfortable sleepwear.
By understanding your elderly loved one’s condition, you can select sleepwear designed to afford them a comfortable and quality night’s sleep.
RELATED: Best Sleep Bra for Seniors & Elderly
Top Factors to Consider When Choosing Sleepwear for Seniors
1. What Type of Fabric Is The Sleepwear Made From?
Fabric can help regulate temperature levels when your loved one is sleeping, and in the process, help promote help better sleep.
Here are some of the most common fabrics used to make sleepwear and their benefits.
- Silk – This incredibly soft material has thermoregulation capabilities meaning that it can help cool your body when temperatures are high and warm your body when it is cold
- Cotton – This material is soft to the touch, breathable, and lightweight to be worn comfortably. Though it absorbs little moisture, it is not a good absorbent material meaning it is not ideal for people who experience night sweats or incontinence. However, it is great for people looking for comfortable sleepwear that can warm the body
- Bamboo – Sleepwear made from bamboo fibers usually has a natural, soft and silky feel on the skin. Bamboo sleepwear is also absorbent, meaning it can be used by people who experience night sweats
- Flannel – This is a soft, breathable material that can keep the body warm in cold conditions
- Wool – This soft material is usually used to produce sleepwear designed to warm the user at night. However, it is worth noting that wool is not breathable; thus, it can get stuffy and uncomfortable, not to mention that it can sometimes cause itchiness
2. Is The Sleepwear Easy To Wear?
As people age, mobility and flexibility issues tend to arise. It is best to find your loved one sleepwear they can easily put on and take off without much assistance. Avoid sleepwear with too many buttons or complicated latching/fastening mechanisms.
3. Is The Sleepwear Easy To Wash?
Remember that you will be cleaning your loved one’s sleepwear each day. Your loved one may soil their sleepwear frequently, especially if they cannot regulate bowel movements when sleeping, so find clothing items that are easy to wash.
4. Does The Sleepwear Come In The Right Size?
The best way to ensure that your loved one enjoys a comfortable sleep is to buy just the right size of sleepwear. This means finding clothes that are neither too small nor too big. Check your loved one’s size before making a purchase.
General Sleep Tips for Older Adults
Sleep issues that can be directly attributed to lifestyle choices can easily be rectified by encouraging your loved one to take up healthier habits that make sleeping soundly at night easier. Some of the sleep-friendly lifestyle changes you can encourage include:
- Avoiding the use of electronic gadgets at night
- Using the bed solely for sleeping
- Exercising in the evenings
- Taking part in activities that encourage the mind to wind down, such as light reading
- Setting and sticking to a particular sleep routine
To avoid sleeping problems that can be attributed to a bad sleeping environment, you should ensure that your elderly loved one has a great sleeping environment. This can include:
- Providing a better mattress and more comfortable pillows
- Choose the right blankets based on your personal temperature preferences
- Removing bright lights from the bedroom
- Ensuring that no noisy distracting sounds are filtering into the bedroom
- Ensuring that your loved one wears the right sleepwear when going to bed
Final Word
The clothes that your elderly loved one adorns to bed can greatly influence their sleep patterns. The best way to ensure that your loved one enjoys quality slumber? Create the right bedroom environment, choose the right bedding, encourage your loved one to start sleep-friendly lifestyle habits, and ensure that they wear the right sleepwear to bed.
