Nightcap
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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.
Image source
I usually have something hot to drink before bed, most often coffee as it doesn't keep me awake at all, I got that from my dad. Sometimes it will be some form of hot chocolate, sometimes a warm honey and cider vinegar.
ReplyDeleteIf it works for you, why not?
DeleteThe lesson from the in-laws visit, never rely on other people to supply you with alcohol.
ReplyDeleteThe nightcap to prevent drink spiking is a good idea.
It's sad that it's necessary to have an anti-spiking device.
DeleteSilk is my very favourite material yet the silk taffeta above looks like a very attractive shiny, woven fabric. I would wear that hat in a heart beat, but perhaps without the lace trim.
ReplyDeleteIt's very pretty, isn't it? I agree with you about the lace, though.
DeleteMy grandmother (one of the early female GPs, she was born in the 1880s) always had what she considered to be the perfect nightcap; gin and pep; gin to make her sleepy and peppermint cordial to ward off indigestion!
ReplyDeleteGin and peppermint is a mixture I've never heard of.
DeleteThis evolution of the term “nightcap” exemplifies how language adapts alongside cultural and societal changes
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteElderly friends of ours used to have a cup of cocoa or Horlix before bed. They called it their nighty drink.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
DeleteWater before bed, always and first drink in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLikewise.
DeleteThat last one is new to me but probably a good idea.
ReplyDeleteWater is nearly always a good idea.
DeleteMy husband suffered with bad sinusitis for years until an older neighbour said why didn't he wear a nightcap to warm the sinuses? I laughed like a drain, but when I told my husband he said "Why not?" He already had a beanie type hat made out of t-shirt fabric, so he tried that and he has been wearing one every night for a couple of years now, even when it is really hot, as it has made a huge difference. We are not about to admit to that in public though!
ReplyDeleteExcellent! If it works, why not?
DeleteThat night cap sure was fancy. I've never been one to have a nightcap before bed. I just usually always have a drink of something sitting close by when I'm at home
ReplyDeleteNo nightcaps here, either, but there's always water nearby.
DeleteI tell you there's some Winters when I wish I had a nightcap on my head, that's when I pulled the comforter up over my ears. And you won't catch me drinking tea before bed because it's bad enough having to get up already as it is.
ReplyDeleteNightcap and bedsocks would be good in the cold.
DeleteI've never see that last night cap. Thank goodness we don't need it here.
ReplyDeleteI thought night cap was just a last nip of alcohol. There are so many other meanings I hadn't thought about.
It's a sad state of affairs when people have to make sure their drinks aren't spiked.
DeleteWithout much natural protection up top, I often wear a hoodie to bed, even in summer if it’s breezy. It’s a very light covering in summer and can be a heavier tracksuit material in winter when we let the nighttime thermostat go way down.
ReplyDeleteCompletely sensible, I'd say.
DeleteAgree with Andrew about not being able ( as a visitor ) to rely on others for a nightcap of the boozy sort. I sometimes enjoy a brandy before bed but never whisky as it gives me a headache.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
The idea of a nightcap quite appeals, but alcohol makes me thirsty, and I don't care for brandy or whisky. Anyway, cleaning the teeth afterwards rather spoils the effect, I suppose. 😉
DeleteI'd wear that silk nightcap, and while the drink nightcap is a good idea I think I'm too old to need one ... as in I am not out in the clubs!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're never too old - at least, that's what they say!
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI have never seen the "nightcap" that fits over a drink glass. Seems like that would kill any glamorous vibe from a night out, but I suppose looking goofy is better than being slipped a mickey.
ReplyDeleteI used to wear a stocking cap to bed when I lived in my stone house in Morocco with no glass in the windows. It was freaking cold in the winter but that cap kept my head warm!
Comfort and health are more important than how you look in bed!
DeleteGood idea for that drink nightcap -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI've been having a cup of lavender and chamomile tea before going to bed for many years ... xxx
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the couple was very surprised to be offered a cup of cocoa. My nightcap is a tablet for restless legs and a nice sip of water... lol. I need to do better..
ReplyDeleteI like a cup of tea in the evening and yes, a trip to the necessary is often necessary
ReplyDeleteHow dreadful that a drink needs to be protected.
ReplyDeleteIt's just so sad that you now have to make sure drinks aren't spiked.
ReplyDeleteMy last drink before bed is a little cold milk ...
All the best Jan