SLEEPOVER

A 'sleepover', also known as a 'pajama party' or a 'slumber party', is a party where a guest or guests are invited to stay overnight. They are most frequently held by children and may be combined with a birthday party or other specific occasion. Another common type of a sleepover is a lock-in, where the participants stay at a public place. In the UK, teenage boys sometimes call a sleepover a crash.

Contents

Common practices

Children

In the media

Common practices

The participants typically stay up late, talking, eating and playing until they fall asleep. Sleepovers are usually held at one participant's house, with other guests bringing their own pillows and other bedtime paraphernalia (such as sleeping bags and toothbrushes). Common activities include playing board games, having pillow fights, watching movies, playing Truth or Dare or building forts out of pillows and blankets, playing video games, and having a "spa night" (in which girls paint their nails and toes and put on face masks). It is done by both girls and boys, mostly pre-teen or teen.

Children

Sleepovers are most popular among children and teenagers and, for some, have become a "must-do" activity during school holidays.
"Sleepover" is something of a misnomer, since little, if any, time is spent sleeping.

In the media

On television and in movies, sleepovers are portrayed as a fun-filled night of laughs, music and talking. The popular film "Sleepover" is an example of this.