For years, the conversation around sleepwear has been almost entirely focused on women. Silk sets, cotton pyjamas, satin robes – the options were endless, the marketing was constant. Men, meanwhile, were largely left with whatever old T-shirt they’d had since 2009 and a pair of boxers that had seen better days. That’s finally starting to change, and honestly, it’s about time.

There’s been a genuine shift in how men think about getting dressed for bed. It’s not about becoming some sort of loungewear influencer. It’s more practical than that. Poor sleep affects everything – your mood, your concentration, the way you handle a difficult Tuesday. And while nobody’s claiming a decent pair of pyjamas will cure insomnia, wearing something actually comfortable and properly fitted makes a real difference to how you wind down.

Why Most Men Have Got It Wrong

The old T-shirt-and-boxers approach isn’t inherently terrible, but there are problems with it that most blokes don’t really think about. Old cotton T-shirts tend to twist in the night, ride up, and generally become annoying around 3am. Boxers aren’t designed for sleeping in. They’re designed for wearing under trousers during the day, which is a fairly different set of requirements.

Dedicated sleepwear is cut differently. Pyjama trousers have an elasticated waist that moves with you rather than against you. The fabric choices are better for temperature regulation; flannel for winter, lighter cotton for summer. This isn’t complicated stuff, but it does make a difference when you’re trying to stay asleep rather than kicking off the covers every hour.

There’s also the question of warmth. Anyone who’s been in an older British house between October and February knows the particular misery of a cold bedroom floor at 6am. A proper dressing gown solves this completely. It’s one of those purchases you put off for years and then immediately wonder why you waited so long.

What to Actually Look For

Natural fibres are worth prioritising, particularly cotton and brushed cotton. They breathe, they wash well, and they don’t build up static in the way that synthetic fabrics can. Flannel-lined options are excellent for the colder months, though they’re too warm for summer – so it’s worth having options rather than trying to find one pair that works year-round. That’s asking too much of any fabric.

Fit matters too. Nightwear that’s too baggy just gets tangled. Anything too tight is uncomfortable from the moment you put it on. Most men sleep in a medium or large and assume that’s sorted, but trouser length is often overlooked. A pair that pools around your ankles is a tripping hazard and a minor irritation that, over time, starts to feel like a major one.

If you’re after a solid starting point, the range of mens nightwear at Chums covers the practical bases well – brushed cotton sets, dressing gowns, and longer-sleeve options that actually account for colder nights rather than assuming men don’t feel the cold. Which, for the record, they absolutely do.

The Dressing Gown Question

A lot of men resist the dressing gown. There’s some vague cultural association with being either very old or very much a character in a 1970s sitcom. Neither image is particularly aspirational. But a good terry towelling or fleece robe is genuinely one of the more practical things you can own, especially if you’re an early riser or you share a house where the bathroom is a different floor from the bedroom.

Shawl collar styles tend to look a bit less housecoat-ish if that’s a concern. Heavier weight options are better for winter, lighter for the warmer months when you still want something to throw on in the morning without immediately overheating. It’s a fairly simple equation.

Getting the Basics Right

Men’s sleepwear doesn’t need to be a major project. Two or three sets of good pyjamas, rotated through the week, washed regularly, replaced when they start pilling or losing their shape. The cost of a decent set is not what most people assume it is, and nightwear for men has always been available. It’s just that the category got ignored for a long time. That’s changing, and most blokes who’ve made the switch admit they should have bothered sooner.