What Do Your Tween Boys Wear to Bed?

Updated on May 29, 2015
M.C. asks from Ann Arbor, MI
37 answers

My 10 year old son needs new pajamas since he has outgrown his. I am having a tough time finding sleep pants or pjs size 12/14 at the stores and unbelievably, online. Can anyone help? Right now, he is using shorts and a T-shirt.

Thank you.

1 mom found this helpful

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So What Happened?

Sweet!☺

Thank you for responding. Boxers and t-shirts it is then!😉

Featured Answers

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K.O.

answers from Atlanta on

All my boys wear their boxers or boxer-briefs depending on the child. They stopped wearing PJ's by age 4. Less laundry!

5 moms found this helpful

W.W.

answers from Washington DC on

anything that makes them comfortable.

For YEARS it was the short sets...my 12 (almost 13) wears them still...
my 15 year old? He wears sleeping/lounge pants and no shirt or his boxers...either way? Doesn't matter to me. If they go naked? That's fine too - I just do NOT want to see it!! :)

5 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

My boys wear pajama pants. (Kohls and target both have them in the clearance right now) when they hit Jr high they started wearing boxers instead of tighty whiteys. So they slept in those.

5 moms found this helpful

More Answers

J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

In the winter sleep pants and a tshirt, in the summer, underwear

5 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

When I shop, most of the time I find that instead of number sizes, they're labeled small, medium, large, extra large.

I think 12/14 is large.

4 moms found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Seattle on

My nephews generally wore boxers and tank tops from age ten through their teen years, unless it was bitterly cold. Then is was flannel pants and long sleeve shirts.

Why don't you ask him what he wants to wear? Then you can narrow down the search after he tells you what he will wear.

Also, I would try www.landsends.com or the buys dept at a local department store. Macy's has always worked for us. You can usually get boxes and a simple t shirt there either in the boys dept or mens dept. Good luck.

4 moms found this helpful

V.S.

answers from Reading on

My 10 yo son never wears PJs and hasn't for years. He prefers to sleep in underwear, even in the winter. Even when I used to insist, he'd take them off as soon as I left the room. Dumb battle to fight.

4 moms found this helpful
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P.K.

answers from New York on

Whatever they are comfortable in.

4 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Flannel pj bottoms and t-shirts. Boxers and t-shirts when it is hot.

3 moms found this helpful
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J.K.

answers from Wausau on

Into bed, usually just underwear. They haven't worn actual pajama sets in a long time. There came a point where they were difficult to find in larger kid sizes so they took to wearing sweatpants and large tshirts. Now they have some small mens flannel pj pants they wear when they are roaming the house, but they pretty much shed them before crawling into bed.

3 moms found this helpful
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S.L.

answers from Savannah on

Shorts & tshirts for summer, matching sets from Walmart or target for winter

3 moms found this helpful
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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

When my son hit that point, he started wearing joggers or size small men's lounge pants. That is what he wears now, though he is now a men's size at 16 yrs. He pairs them with t-shirts rather than actual pjs.

3 moms found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Fayetteville on

Kohl's has sleep pants. You could pair them with a t-shirt.

3 moms found this helpful
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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

Boxers & roomy T-shirts.

Try a men's small.

3 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

We had our son in Hannah Anderson's short johns for as long as we could (they have adult sizes).
Now (he's 16) he wears tee shirts and shorts.

3 moms found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I believe Gap has sleep pants in larger sizes. Old Navy has sleep pants and pajama sets through size 18. What is size 18?

3 moms found this helpful

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

Costco will get pajamas in in those sizes. We've bought a bunch from there.
Target has large which is 12/14 or xlarge which is14/16 pjs or at least sleep pants and then I buy a package of Hanes tshirts to pair with the sleep pants. An XL is also a men's small so we buy sleep pants from there and again pair them with a basic hanes tshirt undershirt.
I have one son that loves sleeping in sweats and a tshirt. When it gets especially hot my oldest will sleep in his boxer briefs and a sleeveless undershirt and throw on a pair of sleep pants or shorts before coming downstairs.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Boxers and an undershirt or sleep pants and an undershirt. He runs warm, so usually the undershirt comes off at some point.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

T-shirt and boxers or something like that. I can't remember the last time I bought actual pajamas for any of my kids (17, 14 and 12).

2 moms found this helpful
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S.D.

answers from Davenport on

My 9 yo varies. When it's cold he'll wear flannel pj's. When it's warm he'll wear gym shorts, the clothes he wants to wear the next day (usually comfy shorts & a t-shirt - he takes his shower at night), just underwear, or nothing. Whatever he's comfortable with is what he goes with. I'd say a t-shirt & shorts are good if your son prefers that.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

My husband wears sports shorts on warm nights, PJ pants on cold nights. You might want to check the men's sections. Most stores have dressing rooms, might be time to try things on and find his "new" size.

2 moms found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

My boys are 8 and 10, but big for their ages. They so often wear boxer shorts and a shirt to sleep in. They will wear pajama's more in the winter, and I get the sets from Target - the 8 year old is in 14/16 and the 10 year old is in 16/18 or even 20. But their pajamas fit both of my boys just fine.

They also wear athletic shorts to bed sometimes with no shirt - just really depends on how they are feeling. As long as they are comfortable, we don't mind what they sleep in.

And when I was growing up, all 4 of my siblings and I wore what my parents called "Daddy jamies". They were my dad's old flight t-shirts and they were all kept in a nightstand in their room. They were too big on all of us, so it didn't matter what we grabbed.

2 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

whatever they wanted. boxer briefs, probably. i think they both had some pj pants at that age, but other than reading to them (which i did until they moved out, practically, poor fellows), i didn't supervise them much when it came to their bedtimes.
if he wants pj pants, can you just get him small adults'?
khairete
S.

2 moms found this helpful

⊱.⊰.

answers from unknown city on

My boys (7 and 11) usually sleep in their underwear and sometimes a white t-shirt. They both wear boxer brief underwear. After showers though, they usually throw on regular boxers to sleep in if they shower at night.
They do own jammies for sleepovers and I get them pajama pants from Old Navy and Target with white Hanes t-shirts from Target or whatever brand from Costco. My 11 y/o is in adult sizes.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

boxer briefs and a t-shirt.. If somewhere else, then maybe a tee and long-johns.. He doesn't like too loose of a pajama because it rides up the leg at night.. loose shorts work well too..

2 moms found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

LL Bean and Land's End are great for the basics year round, and they come in regular colors/prints, not cheesy "character" stuff (which I would assume your son is too old for.)

2 moms found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

My 11 yo and 17 yo both wear pajama pants with t-shirts. They kick the clothes off when they get hot. We get the pants at Target.

2 moms found this helpful

O.H.

answers from Phoenix on

My son at age 12 all of a sudden gained 40 pounds and went into a men's medium. Funny enough, I got him those old men jammies, the silky pants with matching long sleeved button top and he LOVES them! He wears them in our 'winter'.

Now that it's hotter he wears basketball shorts and a tee shirt. Sometimes just his boxers. Before that he wore the boys sleep pants. Good luck.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.R.

answers from Dallas on

My 13 yo sleeps in his underwear during the spring/summer and in footed fleece pajamas in the winter. Not sure where the fascination with the footed pjs came from, but since it means he's not rolling downstairs in his boxers I like it, lol.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.B.

answers from Beaumont on

Underware when it's hot out and sleep pants in the winter.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

They usually both just sleep in their underwear. Sometimes they wear a teeshirt if it is chilly.

1 mom found this helpful
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D..

answers from Miami on

I bought my kids their pj's at Kohls. I'd buy the bottoms and tops separately if they didn't come together. Usually they had themes, like Batman or Pokemon.

But there's nothing wrong with old t-shirts. My kids didn't like sleeping in shorts - still don't. They like the long pants. The older they are, the easier it is to find sleep pants...

1 mom found this helpful
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R.B.

answers from Dallas on

I switched my son to colored undershirts and boxers over his underwear for PJs. For winter just flannel PJ pants and an colored undershirt. No PJ matching = easy

1 mom found this helpful
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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

JCPenney had sleep pants for boys a few months ago when I was looking.

My son wears the sleep pants with plain undershirt-type t-shirts to bed.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Portland on

Boxers pretty much, and tee shirts. I did get some jammies (long ones) from GAP a while back because they were going to a sleepover in the winter and I figured they'd be more comfortable in pants. They go up to size 14 I think ... and I just get them online when they have them. After that I think you have to go up to men's sizes but the pant legs are too long. Some of the teen type stores I think have some (Aerostopale) maybe.

One of my sons also will wear soft athletic type shorts (like sweat pant material) and a tee shirt to bed.

1 mom found this helpful
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N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Jammie pants, PJ's from Walmart, sweat pants and a tee, men's x-small jammie pants, all sorts of knit shorts. And the always favorite, plain old underwear.

1 mom found this helpful

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

My 12 year old wears his boxer briefs, my 14 year old wears men's pajama bottoms.

I think shorts and a tee are fine for pajamas.

1 mom found this helpful
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