When it's time to go to sleep, our bodies prefer to stay cool rather than warm. A drop in the body's core temperature, caused by the cold environment in which you sleep, tells the brain that "it's time for bed" and helps you rest well. Sometimes, however, the room is too cold due to the harsh external climate and you may have some difficulty in finding the right thermal balance. With a few small changes in your bedroom and bedtime routine, you should be able to create a sleep-friendly environment that's warm enough to rest despite the freezing weather outside.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparations
Step 1. Get some light exercise before bed
This way you warm up your body and get ready for sleep. A little simple stretching accompanied by deep breathing is enough to raise the body's core temperature.
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart. Breathe deeply and raise your arms to the ceiling. Roll your shoulders back and lower your tailbone towards the floor.
- As you exhale, lower your arms and let them rest at your sides.
- When you inhale, raise your arms again and stretch them as far as you can towards the ceiling.
- When you exhale, lower your arms. Keep raising and lowering your arms, still breathing deeply with each movement, for 10-12 breaths.
Step 2. Drink herbal tea or hot water
A hot drink helps raise the body temperature and leaves an overall sense of warmth. Choose a herbal tea that doesn't contain caffeine so it won't keep you awake during the night. You can also drink a cup of hot water with lemon and honey to keep you warm.
Avoid hot chocolate or other cocoa-based drinks, as the caffeine and sugar they contain will likely not make you sleepy
Step 3. Take a hot bath or shower
Steam from a hot shower or bath allows your body to warm up and raise the temperature for when you go to bed.
Step 4. Wear warm clothing and layered clothing
Dress in layers to sleep, so you can retain your body temperature throughout the night. A long, wool tights, flannel shirt or pajamas, long-sleeved top and even a sweater are all items that you can wear on top of each other to stay warm. This way, you can decide to take off some clothing as your body warms up, which you couldn't do with one heavy, bulky pajama.
It has been found that sleeping at a slightly lower temperature allows you to rest more deeply and for longer. But be careful not to overheat your body too much, as you may get restless sleep and experience discomfort during the night. By dressing in layers, however, you can regulate the heat as your body temperature rises
Step 5. Have some blankets and quilts handy
Create the right atmosphere by keeping blankets or duvets at the bottom of the bed or on a nearby chair. If you feel cold during the night, you can use them to cover yourself.
Keep a blanket on your feet before going to bed. Often this is the area of the body that cools down first
Step 6. Use the oven
One of the best ways to heat the whole house and save on bills at the same time is to turn on the oven to cook something for dinner or the following day. You can bake bread, timbales or even simply turn on the oven for 10-20 minutes; in this way you should be able to heat the whole house. The important thing is not to forget to turn it off before going to sleep.
Step 7. Consider purchasing an electric blanket or heating pad
If you opt for these solutions, which run on electricity, you need to make sure you turn them off before bed, even if just for a nap. You risk starting a fire by leaving this equipment on overnight. Also avoid running electrical cables between the mattress and the bed base, as they could break due to friction or excessive heat trapped inside the cables, with the risk of causing a fire.
If you decide to get a bed warmer, which creates heat with electricity, do not use the electric blanket as well, as it could cause the devices to overheat and even a fire
Step 8. Adjust the thermostat temperature
If there is a thermostat in the house, check it to make sure it is not set too low, so that the room is adequately warm. The ideal sleeping temperature is around 18 ° C, the room will be cool enough to sleep well, but not too cold to wake you up in the middle of the night.
If you sleep with a partner, you need to agree on the ideal room temperature. Try raising the temperature several degrees above 18 ° C in order to find the right compromise. Temperature regulation is a "subjective science", especially when it comes to sleep. Change your thermostat settings to find a pleasant warmth for both of you
Part 2 of 2: Staying Warm Overnight
Step 1. Use a hot water bottle
Look for one of these bags at the supermarket, some models contain a liquid that can be heated in the microwave or you can rely on tradition and choose a bag to fill with boiling water. Simply put some water on the stove to boil and then pour it into the container.
Place the hot water bottle under the sheets or blanket in the foot area. This way you will stay warm all night, including your feet. In the morning, the water will have become lukewarm or possibly cold
Step 2. Put on the wool socks
This is a perfect material for insulating the body and retaining heat. The feet, in general, are the part of the body that cools down first due to limited blood circulation, but at the same time it is also the one that hardly warms up with the blanket alone.
- Get several pairs of heavy wool socks and keep them handy on the bed. This way you can grab your socks even in the middle of the night, in case you can't get warm.
- You can also buy a pair of slippers to keep your feet warm throughout the day. Choose the ones that have a rubber sole, so your feet will be comfortable and you will have enough grip to walk around the house.
Step 3. Harness your body heat
Another way to stay warm at night is to get close to your sleeping partner and enjoy the benefits of their body's natural warmth. If you have a pet, you should consider allowing them to sleep with you, if only because it will keep you warm during the night.
Step 4. Stop the drafts in your room
Air currents filter through doors, window frames and sometimes even between floor panels, resulting in cold air entering the room. To avoid being awakened by cold drafts, check the entire room thoroughly to make sure there are no drafts. Close any gaps with a rolled-up blanket or long pillow so that no cold air gets into your room while you sleep.
You can also use a long blanket to cover the door and windows, thus preventing cold outside air from entering the room through small gaps
Step 5. Add layers of blankets and sheets
If you keep waking up at night from chills, then add more blankets on top of the sheets, alternating thin layers with thicker ones to better retain heat. The duvets are perfect for this purpose as well as the woolen blankets.
