A Sleep Expert's Opinion on Your PJ Choices

Welcome to Who What Wear UK's first-ever Wellness Week. With that back-to-school feeling in the air, we thought what better time to hit reset on the health and happiness of yourself and your wardrobe. From uplifting outfits to savvy ways to update your look to the psychology of our purchasing habits to the pyjamas that will help you get some extra z's, check back all week for a daily boost of style success.

We all know that restless sleepers shouldn't look at their phones straight before bed and should try to establish regular bedtime routines, but can what you wear also effect your sleep cycle? We turned to Guy Meadows, MD, clinical director of The Sleep School—an organisation that helps insomniacs, stressed workers and new parents to sleep better—to find out what he thinks we should wear to get the best night's sleep.

It turns out that pj's don't just make you feel cosy, they can impact how quickly you drop off. "What you wear can affect your sleep because of the role of temperature in sleep regulation," Dr. Meadows explains. "A slight drop in core body temperature at the start of the night helps us to fall to sleep, whilst a similar rise helps to wake us up in the morning. Having the right clothes can therefore help to regulate your temperature and ensure a good night's sleep."

But there isn't one golden pair of pj's that will send everybody off to sleep. "People prefer different bedclothes in much the same way that they prefer different sleeping positions," he explains. "The key is finding the bedclothes that fit your comfort needs and give you the chance of achieving good quality sleep every night. People who are naturally hot at night or suffer from night sweats and hot flushes tend to opt for light weight bedclothes made from a moisture-wicking fabric like cotton. Sleeping naked is also a preference for some, with one reported benefit being that the body can regulate its temperature more easily."

So what is the best fabric to opt for if you are often cold in bed? "Flannel," he explains. "This improves sleep quality because being cold is linked to an increased difficulty falling to sleep. Being cold reduces the blood flow to the hands and feet, which prevents the natural movement of blood from the core to the periphery at the start of the night needed to lower core temperature."

Tempted to invest in a new pair of pj's? Scroll below to shop three of our favorite sets.