Mum used to do this with me. She used old towels and nappies. (When I found out it was old terry nappies, age about 8, I stopped letting her do this to me! In the 1980s when this was fashionable too.)

ControlFreak - I think that's how Mum did it. Only we'd have about 15-20 rags in the head and then have to go to sleep on that: it was not comfortable. I'd recommend (now!) a T-shirt over the top just to soften the rags.