Nightcap

 

Nightcap

 

Man’s yellow silk taffeta cap, 18th century

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

A nightcap is a head covering worn in bed to keep the head warm and prevent hair from tangling. It was probably essential when houses were cold and winters colder. It may still be in regular use in some parts of the world.

Nightcap has other meanings, too. Traditionally, it’s a drink before bedtime, designed to soothe, calm and relax. It may be a warm milky drink, with or without the addition of a tot of brandy or whisky. Originally, it was an alcoholic drink, because alcohol warms and relaxes mind and body before sleep. The term ‘nightcap’ when referring to alcohol has been in use from the early eighteenth century

Friends of ours always used to have a brandy and ginger nightcap before bed. When their elder son was about to marry, they went to stay with his future in-laws, which can often be a tricky meeting.

At the end of a pleasant if rather abstemious evening, our friends, a very gregarious, companionable couple, were asked if they would like a nightcap and they readily accepted. They were immediately disappointed to be offered cocoa or something similarly innocuous. I think they were thankful to return home to their usual routine.

Many older people like to have a cup of tea before bedtime, and I believe it is offered in retirement homes and hospitals. Tea is a diuretic and not the wisest drink to take before retiring to bed, I would have thought. Lots of people have to get up during the night to visit the bathroom. Surely tea just makes matters worse?

A more modern application of nightcap is in a reusable drink cover looking something like a hair scrunchie. It is used to help prevent the spiking of drinks in clubs or at parties.

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