# Sparking pajamas? Am I crazy



## sarahsmiles (Jan 9, 2007)

Alright, I know I'm sleep deprived, but I swear last night DD's pajamas were giving off LITERAL SPARKS when I was trying to nurse her to sleep. She was moving all around in my lap, and then eventually in the bed, and it was dark, and I just need a reality check here.

I gather that many of the namebrands are treated or something, and she was in Carter's footie pajamas, but even some sort of chemical treatment shouldn't light up like a mint lifesaver chomped in a dark room, should it?

DH doesn't believe me.


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## Cujobunny (Aug 16, 2006)

static electricity. I believe you.


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## Artichokie (Jun 19, 2007)

Yeah, it is static electricity and very common, especially if the air in your house is dry (like, if you have turned the heat on for the winter).

Try siting under a blanket and brushing your hair. You'll get the same effect.


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## hubris (Mar 8, 2003)

I've seen synthetic fabrics do that. Winter is coming, time for lots of static!


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

My cotton sheets do that when there's static electricity in the air -- I don't think it's anything to worry about -- every time you hear crackling or feel a little shock from static electricity, there are sparks flying around, we just usually don't see them because it's not dark.


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## AutumnMama (Jan 2, 2004)

Nope, you're not crazy at all! It's static electricity.
This definitely happens more often with synthetic material (I'm guessing she had on fleece jammies?), and especially when it's dry.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Aww, I remember that from being a kid and wearing those polyester nightgowns. My sister and I used to rub them together under blankets and watch the sparks.


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## ktarsha (Jul 30, 2006)

We get sparks all winter from my son's fleece sleep sack. It's what I hate the most about winter, all the static electricity.


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## mammal_mama (Aug 27, 2006)

So, has static electricity ever started a fire?


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## WNB (Apr 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mammal_mama* 
So, has static electricity ever started a fire?

I think the charges that build up in everyday situations are still far too weak to generate the amount of heat required to ignite normal (non-chemical) household goods, but you should be careful to avoid discharges when you're handling (or have recently handled) flammable chemicals such as lighter fluid, cleaning solvents, aerosols and the like.


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## LeahC (Sep 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamalisa* 
Aww, I remember that from being a kid and wearing those polyester nightgowns. My sister and I used to rub them together under blankets and watch the sparks.


Ditto! My brother and I used to do that as kids all the time, except my brother didn't wear nightgowns.







Good times!

It is the same thing as when you walk across the room and get shocked by a metal door nob.


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## Perdita_in_Ontario (Feb 7, 2007)

When DH and I were first married, we lived in Edmonton, which is very, very dry in the winter. He called me into the bedroom once, turned off the lights, and showed me how if you drag a cat across the bed, you get a trail of sparks.

I made him promise to never EVER do that to the cat again (she was purring the whole time, the nutcase). And then I left the room and laughed silently until the tears rolled - because it _was_ funny in a Monty Python kind of way.

I'm typing this looking at an ad for "cruelty free vegan" candles...







:


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## nabigus (Sep 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Perdita_in_Ontario* 
He called me into the bedroom once, turned off the lights, and showed me how if you drag a cat across the bed, you get a trail of sparks.









: OMG, I just snorted soda out through my nose!


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## akemi (Jun 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Perdita_in_Ontario* 
When DH and I were first married, we lived in Edmonton, which is very, very dry in the winter. He called me into the bedroom once, turned off the lights, and showed me how if you drag a cat across the bed, you get a trail of sparks.







:

haha... as I read that I just thought... that HAS to be a typo for coat.... guess not!

My DD's fleece jammies spark all the time. She thinks is pretty neat.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

I used to have a long haired cat that loved to rollaround on an acrylic blanket. Watching it in the dark was just like the Fourth of July.









Don't worry too much, static sparks will only start a fire in the presence of something very flamable, like gasoline of solvents. Basically stuff you wouldn't have around while nursing a LO anyway.


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