If your home is cold during the night and you find your
sleep disrupted by being cold, it's possible that your room
is too cold. While it is best to sleep in a room with a
temperature around 60ºF or 15.5ºC, your own psychological
and bodily needs must also be taken into account when
defining what is too cold. In this article, you'll learn a
number of ways to improve your sleep by warming your
sleeping space up enough to allow you to sleep comfortably.
!! Steps !!
Adjust the thermostat [1]. If you have central heating, check that
it is at a suitable temperature for the night. The ideal bedroom
temperature for night is around 40ºF or 15.5ºC but you might need
to make it a little higher. Naturally, this needs to be balanced
with the preferences of everyone else in the house, so it might not
be the best solution. Hot showers are amazing! Warm up
before getting into bed. There are several things you can do to make
sure that you and your bed are warm before settling down to sleep.
Often, just doing these can be enough to hurdle the initial cold air
and to sleep well for the remaining night. Here are some
suggestions;
* Have a warm shower [2] or bath prior to getting into bed. This
will warm you up considerably and you'll keep this warmth as you
get to bed. Be sure to dry your hair completely if you wash it.
Nice warm socks! Wear adequate clothing. Naked sleeping on a cold
night isn't such a great idea if you're one to feel the cold. Try
wearing socks [3] with warm pajamas. If your head feels cold, wear a
cozy night hat such as a beanie. Cold feet can prevent sleep, so
socks are essential for people who feel the cold a lot.
* Put your clothes in the dryer [4] before putting them back on. If
your dryer has a temperature adjustment, set it to medium or high.
Have someone else bring the warmed up clothes to you if you're
getting out of the shower!
* Drink something warm like hot milk, a hot cocoa, or an herbal tea.
Only do this if you're not prone to getting up in the middle of
the night to use the bathroom though. Try to avoid eating a few
hours before sleeping, as digesting food can prevent you from
falling asleep easily.
Pre-warm the bed. There are several ways to do this, depending on
your preference. If you don't mind electric blankets [5], use it to
warm up the bed (always switch it off once you get in though as the
warmth will sap your energy during the night). Or, add a hot water
bottle [6] or microwaved wheat pack to the bed to warm up parts of
the bed. In the old days, people used to heat up a brick and wrap it
in cloth, place it in the bed and allow the warmth to disseminate
through the bed!
* If using a hot water bottle, wrap it in a towel unless it comes
with an appointed cover and place it a few inches (centimeters)
away from your body in bed because direct contact to skin might
result in burns.
* Warm the room with a heat blast. If you don't have central
heating, you can use a radiant or blow heater to distribute heat
to snap warm up the room. Be sure that nothing is on or touching
the heater and remember to turn it off before getting into bed.
* Hand warmers [7] used for keeping warm outdoors can help in the
bed. Look for them in dollar (bargain) stores, camping, or
sporting stores.
Use blankets [8] and other covers to keep the bed warm through the
night. A series of blankets and other covers is ideal for increasing
bed warmth. Layers work better than a single thick blanket or cover
because you can adjust the temperature if it gets too warm by
removing a layer or two rather than removing your only layer and
ending up cold again. And for those who feel the cold while their
partner doesn't, there are blankets that are specially made to keep
one side of the bed warmer than the other!
* Keep your arms under the covers during the night.
* Consider an electric blanket. Not everyone likes electric blanket
and safety and health concerns also surround their use (see
"Warnings"). However, when used properly according to the
directions and not left on while you sleep, electric blankets can
warm a bed sufficiently to make it warm enough for you to drop off
to sleep quickly. Using them is an issue of personal preference
and if a child or householder doesn't like them, don't force them
to use one.
* A space blanket can help to increase the warmth of other blankets.
These can be found in camping, outdoor, and sports stores.
Keep your bed off the floor and away from any external wall. A bed
that is sitting directly on the floor and is flush with the wall
will conduct the cold from the ground and wall areas. This can also
encourage the growth of mildew and increases the chances of
condensation [9] forming around you, making it both colder and
increasing health problems, especially in poorly insulated [10]
homes. Ensure that your bed is off the ground, and that there is a
barrier or space between your bed and any external wall.
* Add a layer of warmth over the mattress. Sleeping on sheep pelts
or a woolen mattress pad can improve the feeling of warmth as well
as comfort.
Sleep with another being. If you've ever heard of the saying "It's a
three dog night", this is a reference to an old tradition where
cowboys used to share the night with one to three dogs depending on
how cold the night felt, with three dogs being an extremely cold
night![1] [11] Whether it's your spouse, lover, sibling, or a pet,
sharing body heat is a great way to warm up. Snuggle up together and
conserve your combined body heat. The downside to this method is
that pets move, people get too hot and push you away, and it can get
a little too warm – and crowded!
* Make sure that pets are flea free [12] before sharing your
sleeping space with them.
* While not exactly a being, using your laptop in bed prior to
sleeping can really warm you up. The downside is that it can also
keep you alert and you might find it harder to fall asleep.
!! Tips !!
* A steam bath can warm you up wonderfully.
* Use a hot water bottle;
* Using a Swedish built-in bed might help. These beds look like
old-fashioned train berths and have been designed to hold in body
heat. Search online for manufacturers or for patterns if you're
handy with woodwork.
* Sleep like this. Some people find that it helps to
sleep curled up as a way to retain warmth. This can place a lot of
pressure on your spine as you age though, so it isn't a regular
solution.
* If you have a double story home, sleep upstairs because warm air
rises.
* Consider going to sleep earlier. Most likely the temperature won't
be as cold at 9:00 as it is around 11:00, and you might not feel
so cold earlier because you're still active.
* Keep a warm robe and pair of slippers next to your bed, where you
can grab them before you even get up. That might make getting out
of your warm, comfy bed and into the cold air a bit easier.
* There are now such things as microwavable furry slippers or
slippers that warm up plugged into your computer or laptop.
Extremely comfortable and not very expensive, they will stop the
heat escaping from your feet.
* It's important to get at least 7 hours of sleep; inadequate sleep
can increase your chances of getting a cold.[2] [13] Thus, if
you're experiencing sleeping difficulties during colder seasons,
see your doctor or health professional for advice.
!! Warnings !!
* Never go to sleep with an electric blanket left on. You should
always unplug it and turn it off, even if the manufacturer says it
is okay to sleep with it on a lower setting. The constant heat
will drain your energy during the night (and can actually cause
you to wake up), and the risk of an electrical fault as you sleep
makes this too dangerous a practice. Moreover, some people are
concerned about the proximity of electricity next to a sleeping
body because of the potentially dangerous health effects of being
around an electro-magnetic field.[3] [14] Whether or not that
concerns you is up to your own research and findings.
* When sleeping in cold room you might have trouble getting up in
the morning because you feel too warm and cozy under your
blankets. Having your warm clothes next to the bed can help you to
get out quickly. Just do it!
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Warm cover layers for bed
* Warm PJs and slippers
* Hot water bottle or wheat bag (and microwave)
* Heater
* Warm shower or bath
* Warm drink
* Additional warm clothes
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Sleep Comfortably on a Hot Night [15]
* How to Keep Warm After Showering in Winter [16]
* How to Get Cozy in Bed [17]
* How to Fall Asleep [18]
* How to Keep Your Baby's Room Warm [19]
* How to Stay Warm at Home Without a Heater [20]
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
Links:
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[1] http://www.wikihow.com/Install-a-Programmable-Thermostat
[2] http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Warm-After-Showering-in-Winter
[3] http://www.wikihow.com/Image:005.JPG
[4] http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Clothes-Dryer-Vent
[5] http://www.wikihow.com/Extinguish-a-Fire-at-the-Initial-Stages
[6] http://www.wikihow.com/Fill-a-Hot-Water-Bottle
[7] http://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-Fitted-Hand-Warmers
[8] http://www.wikihow.com/Sew-a-Blanket
[9] http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Condensation-from-Mirror-After-Shower
[10] http://www.wikihow.com/Insulate-Your-Home
[11] http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0
[12] http://www.wikihow.com/Rid-Your-Pet-of-Fleas
[13] http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1
[14] http://bemoreconfident.info/#_note-2
[15] http://www.wikihow.com/Sleep-Comfortably-on-a-Hot-Night
[16] http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Warm-After-Showering-in-Winter
[17] http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Cozy-in-Bed
[18] http://www.wikihow.com/Fall-Asleep
[19] http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Your-Baby%27s-Room-Warm
[20] http://www.wikihow.com/Stay-Warm-at-Home-Without-a-Heater
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