National Sleepover Day

Getting their start in the 1950s, or perhaps a bit earlier, sleepovers were a way for adolescent and teen girls to spend extra time together by staying overnight at each other’s houses. In a time when telephone lines were scarce and there was certainly no internet, sleepovers were an especially great way to be able to connect with friends on a different level.

History of National Sleepover Day

Sleepovers continued to be popular in the 1970s and 1980s as well, with activities like popping popcorn and watching movies on VHS cassettes. But it wasn’t until a few decades later that National Sleepover Day was established.

In many cases, sleepovers are not only a time that girls like to hang out, share stories, eat snacks and stay up way too late watching movies. It’s also a time to try out new ideas for makeup, hairstyles and more.

National Sleepover Day was founded in 2017 as a collaboration between four huge names in the beauty industry: Cosmopolitan magazine, bareMinerals, Sephora and fashion influencer Olivia Culpo. The purpose of the original day was a bit of a publicity stunt to promote a new bareMinerals brand powder product. The event was actually an entire slumber party that took place in Times Square in New York City, as girls and women all over the country were encouraged to host their own sleepovers with friends.

The good news is that National Sleepover Day can be about much more! Girls who have other interests might want to have a sleepover with a friend to chat about a favorite book they are reading or some other activity or hobby they are interested in.

And sleepovers aren’t just for girls! Boys can also have a friend over to spend the night and engage in some fun activities based on their age, such as putting together a lego set or playing video games. It’s all just about having tons of fun and celebrating on National Sleepover Day!

How to Celebrate National Sleepover Day

Try out some of these fun ideas for celebrating National Sleepover Day:

Host a Sleepover for Your Kids

Just ahead of National Sleepover Day, let your child choose a neighbor, classmate from school or another friend to invite over for a sleepover in honor of the day. For younger kids, be sure to have planned activities, provide plenty of snacks and keep their parents on speed dial if it happens to be their first time sleeping away from home!

Watch a Movie About Sleepovers

Even for those who feel a bit too old for a sleepover (and would rather sleep in their own bed!) can enjoy celebrating National Sleepover Day by taking in one of these movies that contains a sleepover scene:

• Grease (1978). Frenchy hosts a sleepover in her room, inviting Sandy, Jan, Marty and Rizzo.
• Clueless (1995). This cult classic stars Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd and includes a famous sleepover scene.
• Mean Girls (2004). The ultimate example of teen cliques bullying, this one has an all-star cast.
• Sleepover (2004). Four friends decide to have a sleepover and tons of hijinx ensues!