"What you you think they're praying for?" she asked Gramsci.
"To get lucky?" Gramsci replied, off-handedly. Stats was never his strong point, and combined with religion...
"Surely if they're already in bed, it's too late for that if it's not already on the agenda," objected the Cow, "unless of course they're married, in which case they're wasting their time anyway. They should rather pray for something that is at least theoretically possible, like Thabo Mbeki having an epiphany that HIV causes AIDS, or Arnold Schwarzenegger leaping out of the closet."
"Perhaps they're praying that they don't freeze to death?" shivered Gramsci.
"Surely it's easier to dig out the flannel nightie - or switch on the electric blanket?" replied the Cow. "After all, this is UK research, where cold weather is hardly unknown!"
"Hmmm..." pondered Gramsci. "Perhaps it's linked to some of the other findings? Perhaps they're praying that their bed mate won't object to their sleeping with a stuffed animal? Or that their husband's snoring won't keep them awake?"
The Cow was not convinced. "Perhaps they're praying that their wives earplugs - to block the snoring - will also block out any names they mutter in their sleep? I really feel there's too little information here! But what do you make of the figures that show people from more liberal political persuasions are more likely to take stuffed animals to bed with them?"
Gramsci snorted. "Oh I think the findings are pretty clear," he retorted. "It shows that some statisticians have wayyyy too much time on their hands!"