Speaking of Sleep

Sleep.  That must have been what we were talking about.  I can’t think what else would have gotten this particular group of women talking about this particular topic.

I was meeting with six colleagues, all women, ages 35 to 65, all professionals.  Our leader was late, so we chatted idly in the way that co-workers who aren’t close will chat.  One of them, I don’t remember which one, asked the question.

“What do you wear to bed at night?”

The answers were standard fare, t-shirt and panties, sleep shirt and panties, night gown.

Then, it being summer, I said, “Nothing.”

That silenced everyone.  Six pairs of wide, astonished eyes focused on me.  No one spoke for a moment.  Then one of them said, “You sleep naked?”  Her tone implied that she had deleted the understood phrase, “You brazen hussy.”

sleeping nakedWhat’s wrong with sleeping like this?  Cool, comfortable and practical, to my mind.

All six pairs of eyes said, “Get yourself out of this one, Georgia.”

Problem was, I didn’t know what I had to get myself out of.  Here was a social norm apparently known by the sisterhood of working women, except me.  What’s so abhorrent about diving into the sheets at night with just bare skin?

Okay, if you’re a mom you might have to deal with late night kid

 

situations that would make having clothes on convenient.  But I wasn’t the only empty nester at that table.

I fudged.  “In winter, I wear flannel pj’s.  But in the summer, it’s just me.”

Tell me, what is it that the vixen divorcee didn’t get in this conversation that left such a dense vapor hanging over the conference table?

 

8 thoughts on “Speaking of Sleep

  1. Well, sleeping in the natural does require changing the sheets a bit more often, other than that, viva la naturale (even if that is not good French!) This might be especially appealing with fine percale sheets……700 thread count maybe?

    • Georgia, I am so with you girlfriend. In the summer there is “nothing” so freeing. Bare skin on clean sheets— heaven! What is the worst that will happen?

      The reaction of your group reminds me of a discussion I had some time ago with my book club regarding “thong under garments”. The shock, the horror, the scrunched up faces… There are just some outfits that require a thong.

  2. I am currious why one WOULD wear clothes to bed. Everytime I try it, I get tied up in my underwear.

    • Hi Currious: You and pmb have touched on a whole other topic – underwear. I just may have something to say about that.

  3. Sleeping naked makes more sense than wearing underwear….under your pj’s? Too much and too hot…and I don’t mean sexy hot. Just me,

    • Hi Maryl: Where I live, heat has been an unusually big factor in how one sleeps. How about in your corner of the world?