Kids' monster pyjamas: cuddly monsters to fall asleep in

Kids' monster pyjamas are a hooded onesie that turns your little one into a monster: the thing that's scary in the dark becomes something they wear, know and can take off. At Pyjama Monstre, the style designed for children is the Star Monster Kigurumi, from 100 to 140. For those who'd rather have an animal, the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie comes as a dinosaur, a unicorn or a shark. This guide helps you choose between the two, turn them into a bedtime ally and sleep in them safely.

The fear of monsters at bedtime: where it comes from

The fear of monsters, often linked to the fear of the dark, frequently appears around 18 months, as the imagination develops. That's what Dr Claire Lewandowski explains on the French health website Pourquoi Docteur, adding that this fear often hides the fear of being alone (Pourquoi Docteur, "Comment aider votre enfant à surmonter sa peur des monstres", 2021, in French).

KidsHealth, the paediatric website of the Nemours Foundation, points out that it's normal for children to have nightmares from time to time, especially before school age (KidsHealth, "Nightmares", reviewed in June 2023).

Pyjamas won't make that fear disappear. What they can do is get you talking about it: a monster you put on at night, with polka dots and fabric teeth, is a starting point for a story where your child is in charge.

The Star Monster Kigurumi, the monster in kids' sizes

It's the only monster in the shop available in kids' sizes. The Monster Pyjamas and the Big Mouth Monster Pyjamas only come in adult sizes.

According to its product page, the Star Monster Kigurumi is a onesie in soft, thick black fleece, printed with a tone-on-tone crackle pattern. Its hood forms a red star with white polka dots, lined with a row of felt teeth: pulled up, it frames the face like an open mouth. A star patch is sewn on the back, and there are two pockets on the hips.

A zip runs from the collar to the waist, and a lower zip "means there's no need to take everything off to go to the loo", the product page explains.

Which size should you choose?

Choose the size by height, not by age. Here are the ranges given on the Star Monster Kigurumi product page:

Measure your child standing up, barefoot, with their back against the wall. Between two sizes, take the larger one, without going two sizes up: legs that are too long trip them up. The cut is the same from kids' to adult sizes (S to XL), so parents and children can wear the same monster. Our guide to kids' kigurumis compares the sizes of every kids' style in the shop.

Rather an animal than a monster?

If the toothy mouth puts your child off, the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie has rounder characters. Its product page describes thick, fluffy fleece flannel, ears or horns on the hood, a contrasting tummy and two hidden pockets on the sides. There's a cat, a unicorn, a shark, a panda, a penguin, a tiger, a dinosaur, a capybara, a cow, a rabbit or a pig.

The dinosaur and the shark keep a bit of a creature look, without the felt teeth. It fastens with a zip or buttons depending on the design, with a back opening for the loo. Have your child try it at home: little ones can't always manage on their own.

Its sizes, according to the product page: 100 (80 to 100 cm), 110 (100 to 110 cm), 120 (110 to 120 cm), 130 (120 to 130 cm) and 140 (130 to 140 cm). The same number doesn't match the same size in the Star Monster Kigurumi: always check the centimetres. The slippers in the photos are not included.

To dress the whole family as the same animal, the Family Fleece Onesie comes in panda, ginger tiger, brown bear, dinosaur and capybara, from kids' to men's sizes.

A bedtime routine to tame the monsters

Pyjamas find their place in a calm routine repeated every evening. Pourquoi Docteur recommends a story or quiet games after bath time. KidsHealth recommends a routine that helps children wind down and feel safe.

Photo: Hansmuller / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Here's one possible routine, to adapt to your child:

1. Putting on the pyjamas means becoming the monster. Your child pulls up the hood, does their biggest, gruffest voice, then takes it off: they're the monster, and they can stop whenever they like.
2. Read a story where the monster is kind. Pourquoi Docteur suggests explaining that monsters come from books, films and the imagination.
3. Give your child a way to defend themselves. According to the same article, coming up with a plan to fight the monster with a toy or their comforter doesn't strengthen the belief in monsters, since the plan will never be put into action. KidsHealth also mentions an imaginary "monster spray".
4. Check under the bed, but not every night. KidsHealth suggests looking in the wardrobe and under the bed while reassuring your child. Pourquoi Docteur adds a caveat: checking at every bedtime can suggest there really is something to find.
5. Push the hood back before turning off the light (see the precautions below).

Photo: ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

As for lighting, KidsHealth says a night light or the landing light helps children feel safe in a dark bedroom. Pourquoi Docteur adds that the child should be able to choose whether to switch it on or not.

For a night at friends', these pointers still apply: our ideas for organising a kids' sleepover take into account children sleeping away from home for the first time.

Sleeping in monster pyjamas: the precautions

A child who already sleeps under a duvet can keep their monster pyjamas on for the night, with the hood pushed back. A hood with a star, ears or horns gets twisted when a child turns over. Fleece is warm: lighten the duvet and check, with a hand on the back of their neck, that they're not too hot — the check the Assurance Maladie recommends for babies. Our temperature guidelines are in the article on sleeping in a fleece onesie.

For a baby, the rule changes. The Assurance Maladie recommends putting babies to sleep on their back, in a sleeping bag suited to their size, with no pillow, duvet or blanket, and specifies that a duvet can only be used from the age of 3 (ameli.fr, "Comment bien coucher un bébé ?", in French). For a baby, hooded pyjamas remain a daytime outfit, under an adult's eye.

Three checks complete the list:

• Felt teeth and small parts. Check the seams of the hood regularly, especially before age 3, and take the onesie away if anything comes unstitched.
• Flames. London Fire Brigade points out that any clothing can catch fire on contact with a candle, and recommends battery-operated candles rather than real flames (London Fire Brigade, "Fancy dress costumes"). On Halloween night, swap the candle in the pumpkin for an LED: our ideas for kids' Halloween pyjamas go over these rules.
• The stairs. A hem that's too long catches underfoot: turn it up, and add non-slip slippers.

For care, the Star Monster Kigurumi is machine washable at 30 °C on a delicate cycle, then air dried; the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie goes in the machine (normal cycle) or can be hand washed, then air dried. Our tips for keeping fleece soft are in how to wash and care for fleece pyjamas.

When to talk to a doctor

If nightmares come back more than once a week, talk to your child's doctor. That's the threshold given by KidsHealth, which also recommends seeing a doctor when nightmares often stop a child getting enough sleep or come with other emotional or behavioural difficulties. Pyjamas, however soft, are no substitute for that advice.

In short

Kids' monster pyjamas are a starting point for talking about bedtime monsters. It's the adults who do the reassuring, with a calm routine, a story, an occasional check and a night light the child chooses to switch on. The Star Monster Kigurumi comes from 100 to 140 and then in adult sizes, chosen by height. If its toothy mouth is too much, the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie offers a dinosaur, a unicorn or a shark. At night, the hood stays pushed back, and a baby sleeps in a sleeping bag. Every style is in the shop.

Cover photo: Brit Austin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)