The BLANKET SLEEPER or FOOTIE PAJAMA (also known by many other synonyms and trade names ) is a type of especially warm sleeping garment worn primarily during the winter in the United States
Typically, but not always, the blanket sleeper consists of a loose-fitting, one-piece garment of blanket -like material, enclosing the entire body except for the head and hands. It represents an intermediate step between regular pajamas , and bag-like coverings for infants such as buntings or infant sleeping bags (Terminology and Variations sections below). Like bag-like coverings, the blanket sleeper is designed to be sufficiently warm as to make regular blankets or other bed covers unnecessary, even in colder weather. Unlike such coverings, the blanket sleeper has bifurcated legs to allow unhindered walking (or crawling ).
While no single feature is universal (see Terminology ), distinguishing a blanket sleeper from regular pajamas usually include:
* One-piece construction with long sleeves and legs. * Attached bootees enclosing the wearer's feet . * Composition from relatively thick, heavy fabric .
Although any sleeping garment with some or all of these characteristics could be called a blanket sleeper , the term is most commonly applied to a range of styles that deviate relatively little from the same basic design. (The features of this design are described in the Features section, below.)
CONTENTS
* 1 Features
* 2 Design considerations
* 2.1 Materials
* 3 Sizes, gender differences, and availability * 4 Terminology * 5 History
* 6 Variations
* 6.1 Minor variations
* 7 Blanket
* 8 See also
* 8.1 Related garments
FEATURES
Features of the typical blanket sleeper often include:
* Usually made of a napped synthetic fabric, such as polyester or polar fleece ; however sleepers made from heavier natural fabrics such as cotton are also available, they are not common in North America
Although widely thought of as something worn only by the very young, blanket sleepers are also sometimes worn (in decreasing order of frequency) by school-age children, teens, and even adults. (See Sizes, gender differences, and availability , below.)
Although footed, one-piece garments in a variety of fabrics and styles are used in many countries as infant sleepwear, the specific range of styles with which the term blanket sleeper is usually associated, the term itself, and the phenomenon of children older than infancy wearing footed, one-piece sleeping garments, are all largely unique to North America .
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Blanket sleeper
The sleeper serves mainly to keep the wearer warm at night, even in the absence of blankets and bed covers. The sleeper covers the entire body except for the head (except in certain cases where a hood is present) and (in most cases) hands (except in cases where a sleeper has attached mitts,mostly on infant sizes), where it is snug at the neck and wrists. The use of a zipper closure in place of buttons or snap fasteners also further retains warmth by eliminating drafts. This is especially important for infants, for whom loose blankets may pose a safety hazard (including increasing the risk of SIDS ), and possibly for older children, who may still be too young to be relied upon to keep their own sleepwear or bed covers adjusted so as to prevent exposure to the air of bare skin. This is reflected in advertisements by blanket sleeper manufacturers, which often emphasize that their garments "can't be kicked off", or that "no other covers are needed". The permanently attached feet can also be a beneficial feature for children who are prone to get out of bed in the morning before their parents are awake, and are too young to be relied upon to put on slippers or other footwear to keep their feet warm,as well as for adults who find putting on,and/or wearing socks in bed too bothersome, yet still want their feet covered when getting out of bed in the morning. Blanket sleepers without feet allow more room for growth and reduce the possibility of slipping. Also, children with larger or smaller feet find a better fit.
The blanket sleeper is designed so that it can be worn either by itself as a standalone garment, or as a second layer worn over regular pajamas or other sleepwear. The one-piece design is simple to launder and has no detachable pieces that could be individually misplaced.
Yet another potential benefit of the blanket sleeper is that it may help prevent infants from removing or interfering with their diapers during the night. This can also apply to older children with certain developmental disabilities, such as Angelman syndrome
Blanket sleepers may also appeal to cultural mores relating to body modesty . This can, for example, be a consideration for some parents when siblings sleep in the same room and/or bed.
MATERIALS
The range of materials used for mass-produced blanket sleepers for children is severely limited, as a result of stringent U.S. government-imposed flammability requirements. Essentially the only materials used since the 1950s are polyester , acrylic , and modacrylic , with polyester dominating. Unfortunately, this can have a negative impact on comfort for many wearers, particularly children with eczema . A small number of sleepers are made from cotton.
Adult-size sleepers, especially those sold by small Internet businesses, can be found in a wider range of materials, including natural fabrics such as cotton flannel . Some web businesses also offer sleepers in natural fabrics for children, but only outside the U.S. In particular, special eczema sleepsuits for children, made of cotton and with built-in mitts designed to prevent scratching, are available from specialty stores in the UK .
The fabrics used in most blanket sleepers have a strong tendency to pill . Although this does not adversely affect the garment's functional utility, it has the effect that a used garment can be clearly, visually distinguished from a new one after only a small number of wearings or washings.
Decorative features such as appliques or printed designs usually follow juvenile themes, and are designed to make the garments more attractive to the children who wear them. Some adult sleepers can also have appliques on them, but those tend to be from Internet clothing suppliers who offer custom-made sleepers and tend to be of favorite cartoon characters or items that the wearer had in childhood such as teddy bears and animal representatives that they had as pets.
SIZES, GENDER DIFFERENCES, AND AVAILABILITY
In the United States and Canada, mass-produced blanket sleepers for both boys and girls up to size 4 (see US standard clothing size s ) are quite common, and can be found in nearly any department store and online . Sizes larger than 4 are progressively less common, being found in only some stores and online, and usually only seasonally (peaking around October or November). The availability of larger-size sleepers in department stores also varies from year to year.
Alternative sources for larger-size, mass-produced sleepers include Internet auction sites , such as eBay , and certain mail order clothing retailers, such as Lands' End .
Individual blanket sleepers can be marketed either as a unisex garment, or as a garment intended for one gender. Even in the latter case, however, there is often no difference stylistically between sleepers marketed specifically for boys, and ones marketed specifically for girls. (The size numbers are also consistent, as, although there are slight differences in the meanings of size numbers between boys and girls in the U.S. standard clothing size system, these are too small to matter in the case of a garment as loose-fitting as a blanket sleeper.) Occasionally, however, sleepers marketed for girls may include effeminate decorative features such as lacy frills, and sleepers with screen-printed front panels may feature images of media characters appealing primarily to children of one gender. Also, the ranges of colors available may be different between the genders, in particular pink sleepers are rarely worn by boys due to a cultural association of that color with femininity. Unisex designs and colors offer a more sustainable option allowing the most use over time.
Blanket sleepers for adult women used to be relatively uncommon, but since 2010s have increased in popularity and can be found in many department stores, usually in the colder months.
Mass-produced blanket sleepers for adult men are more rare. However, major home sewing pattern publishers sometimes offer patterns for conventionally styled blanket sleepers in men's sizes, and in the Internet Age a cottage industry has developed, with several websites offering blanket sleepers manufactured on a small scale for men as well as women and children. Also, mass-produced, unisex-styled blanket sleepers marketed for women are sometimes purchased and worn by men, although the difference in the size ranges between men and women means that this option is available only to men of smaller stature.
The blanket sleeper can be a subject of interest, particularly among the AB/DL community .
TERMINOLOGY
The terminology relating to blanket sleepers can be confusing, and inconsistent between different speakers.
The terms sleeper and blanket sleeper are sometimes used interchangeably. Alternatively, a distinction may be made between the lighter-weight (footed, one-piece) sleepers worn by infants in warmer weather, and the heavier blanket sleepers worn by both infants and older children, primarily in colder weather. (In the loosest usage, sleeper by itself can mean any infant sleeping garment, regardless of form or features.) Similarly, some people consider a blanket sleeper to be one-piece by definition, whereas a sleeper could be made either in one piece, or in two pieces meeting at the waist.
When blanket is omitted, either the singular form sleeper or the plural form sleepers may be used to refer to a single garment. When blanket is included, however, a single garment is usually referred to using the singular form.
The terms (blanket) sleeper and footed pajamas may be used interchangeably. (This reflects the North American practice of referring to nearly any sleeping garment as pajamas , as blanket sleepers bear little resemblance to the jacket and trouser combination, originating in India
Also, while many people consider built-in feet to be part of the definition of sleeper , garments otherwise meeting the definition but lacking feet are sometimes marketed as footless blanket sleepers .
The term grow sleeper is sometimes used to refer to a two-piece footed sleeping garment with features designed to compensate for growth in the wearer, such as turn-back cuffs, or a double row of snap fasteners at the waist.
Other terms that are used more-or-less interchangeably with blanket sleeper include:
* footed sleeper * footed pj's * feeted/feety/footy/footsie/feetsie/feet pajamas * foot/footed/feet/feeted jammies * footies * feeties * nighties * onesie * pajamas with feet * pajamas with the feet in them * padded feet pajamas * pajama blanket * one-piece pajamas * zip-up pajamas * sleeper/sleeping suit * sleeper blanket * sherpa sleeper * walking blanket * walking sleeper * sleeper walker * oversleeper (used in advertisements by J. C. Penney
Also, a number of commercial brand names have been adopted as genericized trademarks . The best known of these is Dr. Denton s , but others used include "Big Feet", Trundle Bundle (common usage on the Southside of Chicago), and Jama-Blanket .
Formerly used, obsolete terms include:
* night drawers * sleeping drawers * sleeping garment (used in advertisements by Doctor Denton Sleep
In British English , the term with a meaning closest to that of blanket sleeper is sleepsuit , but it is also known as a romper suit .
Infant
Infants' garments similar to blanket sleepers, but designed for use as outerwear rather than sleepwear (and usually featuring hoods and hand covers), are referred to by other terms such as pram suit , snowsuit , or carriage suit .
Infants' garments similar to blanket sleepers, but designed for dual use as both sleepwear and playwear, are sometimes known as sleep 'n' play suits.
HISTORY
The origins of the blanket sleeper can be traced at least as far back as the late 19th century, to footed, one-piece sleeping garments for children, then known as night drawers . The first company to mass-produce blanket sleepers was Doctor Denton Sleeping Mills, which started using the term "sleeping garment", for their garments, starting in 1865, and most had buttons instead of zippers (since the zipper wasn't invented until the early 20th century), and trap-doors or butt-flaps in the back, as early blanket sleepers, quite obviously, took on the same basic design as the traditional union-suit (which may have been where the idea of the sleeper originated; as the children's version of their fathers' union-suits). However, the blanket sleeper first took something closely resembling its present form in the early 1950s, when many of the most recognizable features were first adopted, including the use of synthetic fabrics, slip-resistant soles, toe caps, rib-knit collar and cuffs, zipper closure, snap tab, and applique. The term blanket sleeper also first came into common use at this time, although sleeper by itself appeared considerably earlier.
Sleepers made before the 1950s were usually made from knitted natural fabrics, either cotton , wool (especially merino ), or a mixture of both. Commonly used fabrics included outing flannel and flannelette. (Home-made sleepers were typically made out of fabric pieces cut from actual blankets.) The soles of the feet were usually made from the same material as the rest of the sleeper, though sometimes two layers were used for improved durability. The collar and cuffs were usually hemmed , and the sleeper usually closed with buttons , either in the front or in the back.
Natural fabrics were largely abandoned after the Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953, which imposed strict flammability requirements on children's sleepwear sold in the United States, up to size 14. Flammability
The popularity of blanket sleepers for older children got a boost in the 1970s and early 1980s due to the energy crises of 1973 and 1979 . Advertisements from this period often emphasized that thermostats could be set lower at night when children slept in blanket sleepers.
VARIATIONS
Blanket sleepers sometimes depart from the standard design by incorporating unusual or uncommon features. An incomplete list of these follows. Drop seat One of the features most commonly associated with blanket sleepers in the public imagination, the drop seat (also known as a trap door or butt flap ) is an opening in the buttocks area, traditionally closing with buttons, designed to allow the wearer to use the toilet without removing the sleeper. Drop seats were very common on sleepers made before the 1950s, but today they are rather rare. (Similar drop seats were also a common feature on the traditional union suit .) Modern versions of the drop seat often replace the buttons with snap fasteners. Snap front/legs Some sleepers, especially in infant sizes, replace the usual front zipper with a front opening closing with snap fasteners. In infant sizes, this opening usually forks at the crotch, and extends down the insides of both legs to the ankles, in order to give access for diaper changes. This design tends to be less effective at eliminating drafts than the zipper closure, and is most often seen on lighter-weight sleepers designed for warmer weather. Some infant-size blanket sleepers made in the 1960s featured an ankle-to-ankle zipper through the crotch, serving a similar function. Snap waist/back Two-piece sleepers sometimes fasten around the waist with snap fasteners. This is most often seen on so-called grow sleepers , made mainly in toddler sizes, with features designed to extend the useful life of the garment by compensating for growth in the wearer. These are usually made in lighter material than one-piece sleepers, with an especially high waist, two rows of snaps on the top piece, a back opening on the top piece also closing with snaps, and turn-back cuffs. Two-piece sleepers made before the 1950s often fastened similarly around the waist with buttons. Drawstring
MINOR VARIATIONS
Side zipper A rare alternative to the center front zipper is the "side zipper", running from the neckline near one shoulder (usually the left) to the outside or front ankle. This is most commonly found on sleepers with an elaborate printed design on the front, in which case it serves to avoid disruption of the image. An even rarer variation is to have zippers on both sides. Back zipper
BLANKET SLEEPERS IN POPULAR CULTURE
Poltergeist III Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke),wears a red blanket sleeper with white buttons (instead of a zipper),from neck-to-crotch,as well as white vinyl soles and toecaps and white rib-knit sleeve-cuffs for the last two-thirds of the movie Ghostbusters II Baby Oscar wears a yellow blanket sleeper with a Winnie-the-Pooh applique in the night scenes towards the end of the movie Mystic Pizza Phoebe Travers (Porscha Radcliffe) wears a purple Carter's blanket sleeper with striped sleeve-cuffs about an hour into the movie A Christmas Story Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), gets a pink bunny costume sleeper,complete with bunny-ears on hood,attached mittens and bunny-slippers,from his crazy Aunt Clara "That worked under the delusion that I was perpetually four years old, but also a girl",on Christmas morning at the tail-end of movie.Little brother,Randy,wears printed blanket sleeper also at tail-end of movie Growing Pains Maggie Seaver (Joanna Kerns) wears a pink blanket sleeper with striped sleeve cuffs in a few episodes The Wonder Years Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), wears a red blanket sleeper with striped sleeve-cuffs in a dream sequence in one episode The Torkelsons Mary Sue (Rachel Duncan), wears a blue blanket sleeper in one episode Almost Home (Spin-off series of The Torkelsons ) Mary Sue (Rachel Duncan), wears a red blanket sleeper with striped sleeve cuffs in a couple early episodes The Shining (1980 movie version) Danny Torrence (Danny Lloyd) wears a bright red blanket sleeper in night-scenes and morning scene towards the end of the movie Family Guy Peter Griffin sees, buys, and wears red adult-sized blanket sleeper he found at a department store and in next scene shocks everyone after rubbing sleeper-soles against carpet, causing static-cling in one episode. Baby Stewie wears a blue blanket sleeper in many episodes.
SEE ALSO
* Layette
RELATED GARMENTS
* Pajamas
* v * t * e
Psychophysiology : Sleep and sleep disorders (F51 and G47 / 307.4 and 327 )
SLEEP STAGES
* Rapid eye movement (REM) * Non-rapid eye movement * Slow-wave
BRAIN WAVES
* Alpha wave * Beta wave * Gamma wave * Delta wave
Sleep disorders
DYSSOMNIA
* Insomnia
* Sleep apnea
* Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
* Hypersomnia * Kleine–Levin syndrome * Sleep state misperception
Circadian rhythm disorder
* Advanced sleep phase disorder * Delayed sleep phase disorder
PARASOMNIA
* Catathrenia * Night terror * Rapid eye movement sleep
OTHER
* Night eating syndrome * Nocturia * Nocturnal myoclonus * Bruxism
* Dream
Nightmare * Nocturnal clitoral tumescence * Nocturnal emission * Nocturnal penile tumescence * Sleep paralysis
Related topics
* Somnology
* Bed
* Bunk bed * Four-poster bed * Futon * Daybed * Hammock * Mattress * Sleeping bag
* Bed bug * Bedding
* 1 Not a sleep disorder.
* v * t * e
Clothing
HISTORICAL CLOTHING • TRADITIONAL AND NATIONAL CLOTHING
TOPS
* Blouse
Trousers
* Bell-bottoms
SKIRTS
* A-line skirt * Ballerina skirt
DRESSES
* Ball gown
* Academic dress
OUTERWEAR
* Apron
Underwear (lingerie )
TOP
* Bra * Camisole * Undershirt
BOTTOM
* Diaper
* Underpants
* Boxer briefs
FULL
* Bodysuit
* Infant
* Long underwear
FOOTWEAR
* Athletic shoe * Boot * Court shoe * Dress shoe * Flip-flops * Hosiery * Sandal * Shoe * Spats * Slipper * Sock
HEADWEAR
* Baseball cap
NIGHTWEAR
* Babydoll
SWIMWEAR
* Bikini
ACCESSORIES
* Belt * Bow tie * Coin purse * Cuff
* Clothing technology * Clothing terminology * Costume * Dress code * Fashion
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