Do they stay on or do they come off at night?  

we sleep with what is comfortable - which means my 12 year old worn out quilt and my smurf pillowcases I've had since I was 3 years old - We don't have anything that matches and we really don't want to either - the "new stuff" is too stiff and scratchy for us! Our theory is our bedroom is the place to be comfortable, not worry about what other people do or think - so that's what i'd say for you to do - do whatever makes you comfortable!

I have two sets of pillows, both are down filled. The sleeping pillow goes under the pillow with the sham during the day when the comforter is up. The sham matches the comforter, the comforter is actually a home made quilt and the shams are made to match. Dust ruffle too.
When I go to bed I pull down the comforter and take the pillow with the sham and place it on the chair by the bed. I don't use the comforter or the shams. Kinda silly when I think about it. Beautiful items on my bed that I never use. Go figure.
I don't know if theres an actual rule somewhere, but at my house there sure the hell is.

We sleep with ours on. Extra pillows = heaven!!! Plus they look so pretty on the bed.

I agree with you one hundred percent, I think that although there is no written law I think pillow shams are for decorative purposes only.

I place the pillow with the sham on it under my other pillow to sleep as I like to have the two pillows but not sleep on the actual sham! Speaking of pillows...I do think I'll be turning soon!

~Heavens~

Mine come off at night just before I climb into bed. I already have other pillows on the bed so I don't need the shams too. Besides, like you said, they're for decoration purposes not to be used. They'll get all wrinkled up if used. The only down fall I see with shams is that they don't get washed as often as the comforter does and so they stay nice and bright while the comforter gets duller and duller. I'm in a real need of a new one for both the king and the queen beds. I have quilts on both but gosh they're falling apart.

I am lazy I keep the pillow shams on and then I wash the comforter and shams together.

I too have pillow shams that match my comforter. Comforter stays on the bed (other blanket or at least sheet betweem me and it) but I have seperate pillows for the shams which come off the bed at night... Guess you could say I do both - shams tay on the pillows but come off the bed for sleeping :)

I don't think there would be a rule about whether we should keep on or take off the pillow shams at night.It is just personal habit.So just do according to how you feel comfortable. Walk your own road, and let people talk.:)

I don't have any on right now, but when I did use them, I didn't sleep on them.

I always had two sets of pillows on the beds, the pillow shams on top and the pillows with just cases behind them. I'd toss the ones with the shams in a corner on the floor when going to bed, so only slept on the ones with the pillow cases.

Solved the problem for me!