Dear Abby Gets It Right

A "worried mom"asks if it's OK for her 14 year-old daughter to be sleeping in the nude.

When I told her I was not comfortable with it, she asked me why, and frankly I could not come up with a good reason other than it seemed "wrong," and fear about what would happen in an earthquake or fire. She questioned how it could be wrong if no one knows - unless they walk into her room without knocking (as I did).

The fact is that there is no rational reason for not sleeping in the nude, just as there is no rational reason for swimming and sunbathing in clothes. People are so invested in this idea of modesty and shame that they accept the fact that nudity is "wrong" even though they cannot come up with any reason why. Abby's answer:

There is nothing inherently wrong with sleeping in the nude. Many people do so because they sleep more comfortably that way. Look at the bright side - it makes for smaller loads of laundry.