After Holly Willoughby reveals she doesn’t wear knickers in bed, other stars tell their night-time secrets
IT’S the debate that Britain’s getting its knickers in a twist over – should you wear pants in bed?
Yesterday we told how Holly Willoughby revealed on This Morning that she never wears her undies overnight – and her confession has split the nation’s women into two camps, pants and no pants.
The 40-year-old presenter was left blushing after co-host Phillip Schofield asked about her bedtime clobber. She responded: “No pants, no pants, no pants. Stop making me say, ‘No pants’ on TV!”
So what should you wear under your nightie or pyjamas?
Sun Doctor Carol Cooper says: “I’m not sure I was taught much about knickers at medical school, but I think most doctors will agree they’re unnecessary at night.
“Excess underwear, especially if it’s constricting, leads to hot, humid conditions. That makes it easier for thrush and bacteria to grow. While it may not matter to all of us, it’s very significant for people with diabetes or who get recurrent thrush.
“For most of us, it’s best to let air get to where the sun doesn’t shine. The point of pants is to protect clothing or preserve modesty. In bed, there’s surely no need for either of those.”
From Rhian Sugden sleeping in the nude, to Megan Barton Hanson’s lacy night-time knickers, six women give us a debriefing on their bedwear.
‘If it’s really hot I have a much better night’s sleep wearing nothing at all’
RHIAN SUGDEN: Former Page 3 model
I’M not a fan of wearing knickers to bed, for various reasons – one main one being the element of freedom and feeling cool.
That’s even more so if I’m in pyjamas. I can’t imagine anything worse than sleeping with two layers on.
I was once told that whatever your temperature is, it’s five to six degrees hotter in your crotch. “Bacteria breeding ground” springs to mind.
If it’s really hot then I prefer to sleep in the nude. I have a much better night’s sleep wearing nothing at all.
For starters, it’s really uncomfortable if you wear knickers to bed, as they tend to ride up and cause wedgies in the middle of the night. Nobody needs that.
I suppose there is also an element of letting it all hang out, so to speak, as surely it’s more hygienic? Airing yourself out sounds awful but I would have said it’s better for you than getting sweaty and warm – especially if morning delight is on the cards.
It’s a completely different story if I’m sleeping over at a friend’s house. It’s knickers on all night.
You just can’t risk going commando in someone else’s house, just in case they walk in while you’re sprawled like a starfish. Imagine that. So bare bottom sleeping over granny pants sleeping is the preferred way for me.
‘The correct undercracker etiquette is that the bed is a no-knicker zone’
PETA TODD: Former Page 3 model
I THOUGHT as a nation we had little space for any further divisive topics. That is until Holly Willoughby opened up this explosive can of worms.
Do you wear underwear to bed? I mean, forget Brexit and G7, this is the big one.
It was actually something I had a chat with one of my best friends about recently and until that day I’d just presumed everybody knew the correct undercracker etiquette – which is that the bed is a no-knicker zone.
It turns out I was wrong, my friend was firmly in the pants camp. I feel like it could be a bumpy road for us to resolve this issue.
I am somebody who cannot sleep in anything. It’s nudie nights only for me.
Even in winter I’d rather have an extra blanket than wear clothes to bed. Even if I start off the night in PJs, by morning I will have ditched them without even knowing I’ve done it as I toss and turn and tie myself in uncomfortable knots.
I understand there is a time and a place, but don’t they say that a bit of fresh air does one good?
In my household we fly the flag proudly for a “liberated sleeping dress code” – and like chocolate being kept in the cupboard, not the fridge, some things are just not up for debate!
‘Silk keeps you warm when you are cold – and cold when you are hot’
MEGAN BARTON-HANSON: Former Love Island contestant
MY friends and I recently discussed pants or no pants at night – and I’ve realised I’m definitely not one to sleep naked.
I have an amazing night-time routine, and PJs are a major part of it. I run a hot bath with essential oil bath salts and soak before drying myself and moisturising my body.
I then do my skincare routine in a big fluffy robe before slipping into some nice silk PJs.
There is no better feeling than getting into bed all clean and sinking into some fresh linen.
They say you need to let your body breathe, but I’ve never understood this. Is it an old wives’ tale? It is far comfier to sleep in some clothes and underwear.
I much prefer sleeping in loose silk or cotton trousers in winter and shorts in summer if it’s hot. I just can’t get my head around people going without pants in winter, it’s freezing! And in summer you’re sweating!
The right material can keep you cool. Silk keeps you warm when you are cold and cold when you are hot. Cotton is good, as it is breathable and doesn’t irritate the skin.
I wore pants on Love Island, obviously – the thought of viewers seeing my bits was enough to ensure I kept my knickers firmly on.
‘Cuddling up to your partner naked is lovely and gives you a loved-up glow’
GEORGETTE CULLEY: Sun Sexpert
I LOVE sleeping in the buff. I couldn’t think of anything worse than wearing tight, restrictive clothes to bed.
Not only is sleeping nude liberating, there are also tons of health benefits too.
Research shows you fall asleep quicker as your body temperature goes down, enabling sleep.
You also sleep better and more deeply because you are more comfortable and your temperature is more regulated. It is also more hygienic, as tight undies are restrictive and it is important to let your skin breathe.
And research shows that going rudie-nudie improves your relationship.
Apparently, skin-on-skin contact releases the happy hormone oxytocin, making us feel more sensual and ready for intimacy, so you’re more likely to have sex if you’re both sleeping naked.
I even go commando on holiday or at friends’ and family houses – which means I dash across the landing hoping no one sees me if I need the loo in the night. Apart from a better sexual experience, cuddling up to your partner naked is just so lovely and sensual.
Sometimes this leads to spontaneous early-morning sex – the fast and furious kind. Other times it gives you that loved-up glow that being naked together brings. So why not recycle your jimjams or give your cotton nighties to your nan and try it out . . .
‘In pants I feel like an SAS reservist, ready for anything’
NIKKI WATKINS: Fabulous Daily Contributing Editor
BEDTIME can seem more like a battlefield when you have two pre-schoolers.
Although it is undoubtedly more alluring to sleep next to your bedfellow without undies, this just seems inappropriate – as our one-year-old shares our bed too.
As I often wear nighties, to me it just seems wildly more appropriate to also wear knickers.
Also, with a baby and a four-year-old, you never know when there might be a night-time emergency, from “needing a drink” to “I need a sick bowl”, so wearing pants makes me feel like an SAS reservist – ready for anything.
But being in the nocturnal knickers club is only temporary.
As soon as the youngest sleeps soundly in his own bed, I will be back to joining the no-undies team. As my mum always said: “It helps everything breathe more naturally down there.”
‘Sometimes I just want a pair of old Bridget Joneses’
LYNSEY CLARKE: Fabulous Daily Editor
I’M a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of woman – sometimes I put on my biggest, comfiest super-market briefs and snuggle up under the duvet, while on other nights I whip off my daytime undies and let the fresh air circulate.
It comes down to the environmental factors of any given night. How warm is it, how tired am I, who else is in the house and so on.
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Sometimes all I want is the warm embrace of a reliable pair of old Bridget Joneses. The biggest factor is probably whether I have a clean pair of comfies remaining.
I would never dream of wearing a thong or scratchy lace tanga pants to bed. I can think of nothing more vile than getting a wedgie in the night.
But I don’t like to be defined by my drawers and will continue to sit on the proverbial fence for ever more – but not without my knickers!