Tips for Keeping Warm in Bed Winter Nights: Tips for Keeping Warm in Bed As we kick off Bedroom month on Apartment Therapy things are just starting to thaw a bit across much of the country, but the desire to stay toasty and cozy hasn't let up. Sure, anyone can turn up the heat, but our readers have shared many ideas on how to use bedding to create an oasis of nightly warmth in even the chilliest home... Check out these tips from our wise readers and then share the wealth by adding yours to the comments... We live in Chicago and it's a huge benefit to be able to drop the heat down at night and snuggle under some layers. Gas for heat is flippin' $$$ here. It's not unusual for us to get a $700 gas bill in the coldest months and we live in a tiny house. Winter I do an electric mattress pad, flannel sheets, a cotton blanket, and a thick down comforter with a velvet duvet cover. We can pull off or add layers as-needed. Instead of flannel or jersey knit sheets, I was recently given fleece sheets.
I was a bit dubious at first, but have since fell in love with them. The fleece is pretty fine, not like a jacket, and ridiculously soft! I am a really warm sleeper, so I was kind of worried about getting too hot, and sweating, but fortunately, I've only been warm and cozy, not hot and sweaty! It's not glamorous but a hot water bottle works like a charm! Lands' End's HeatComfort Mattress Pad has made cold nights exponentially more comfortable for me...haven't climbed into a cold bed in more than a year. And it makes rainy afternoon naps almost impossible to wake up from! In my uninsulated PNW house, it's all about the family bed. A couple months ago, I finally succeeded in getting my 4 year old to sleep in his own bed consistently, all night long. Then it got real cold. I can't undo all that hard work and let him back in my bed... so I joined him. Now it's the 2 of us snuggled up in his twin loft bed, with the dog underneath. Pretty hilarious, but this way I only have to heat one room at night, and it's the room with the fewest windows and exterior walls.
It's not glamorous, but wearing clean white athletic sox to bed helps a lot. If my feet are warm, the rest of me is usually comfortable, too. Also, we bought comforters and top sheets a size larger than the bed -- so queens when we had a standard double, kings when we had a queen. This can be tricky for a neaatly made bed, but the extra overlap is great for covering two bodies without battles. 400 thread count sheets, reversible flannel blanket under my down comforter w/duvet, all tucked nicely under my mattress to keep the cold air out. My boyfriend hates it since he's a warm sleeper - he just sleeps on top of the entire pile when he comes over - flipchik0037 We sometimes get too warm with flannel sheets so I usually have a flannel bottom sheet and an Egyptian cotton top sheet of coordinating colors. Instead of a hot water bottle or herbal microwavable bag, I made several microwaveable bags from fabric remnants and rice for myself and friends. I pop it into the microwave for a couple of minutes and it keeps my toes nice and toasty for at least half the night.
If my feet are warm, then the rest of me is warm. This past week was minus 23 wind chill here so it's been tested! I put the "sleeping pill" on my bed. This is a wool throw from Norway that every time I cover myself with it, I fall asleep. I learned about this from my sister who bought a mohair one when she was in Scandinavia and then gave it to our mom. Every time we used it at mom's we zonked out. So I had to get one--mine's not as fluffy, but works just as well. You know what I love even more than flannel sheets? They feel wonderful on these cold, cold nights -- like curling up with a big, friendly animal. Flannel during the fall/winter/spring paired with thicker pjs, then bamboo cotton during the summer. The same comforter stays on the bed year-round but usually gets kicked off the bed from May - August. Flannel sheet, two down comforters with flannel covers, one more down blanket over the feet, one husband and four cats. What can I say--we live in Wisconsin and sleep with the window open until around -5F.
I love to sleep cold and snuggle in! Flannel sheets, an electric blanket, and duvet in the winter. I use those herb-filled things you put in the microwave. Lands End Flannel Sheets & Duvet covers. They don't pill like el-Cheapo flannel and last forever. A silk-filled comforter is very warm and very luxe! My kids each go to bed with two hot water bottles, one for the feet and one to hug. Hubby and I have a heated mattress pad. I love flannel sheets but nothing tops fleece. So warm and cozy - it's hard to get up in the morning. I got tired of the comforter disappearing in the middle of the night and waking up bare and cold. So when we changed the bedding, we bought a dual control electric mattress pad and king sized down comforter and duvet for our queen sized bed. Now the bed looks spectacular since the oversized duvet drapes handsomely over the sides of the bed. Plus there's no more nightly comforter snatching or tug-of-war as there is plenty of comforter for each of us, and with the electric mattress pad prewarming, no more cold bed at bedtime.
For a cheap, makeshift version of the dual-warmth comforter, get a super thin King size down comforter from Target (I got the REstyle one for $35). Fold over the extra width so it's double-thick on one side, and put it inside a Queen size duvet cover. 70 pound pit bull under a blanket makes a lot of hot - dtland Image: Tyler & Sarah's Primitive Modern RetreatHeated Mattress Pads → ElectroWarmth® Heated Mattress Bed Warmer ElectroWarmth® Heated Mattress Bed Warmer Single (Long) 30" x 80" Single (XL) 30" x 84" Twin 38" x 74" Twin (Long) 38" x 80" Twin (X-Long) - 38" x 84" Double (Full) - One Control 54" x 74" Double (Full) - One Control - Long 54" x 80" Double (Full) - One Control - X-Long - 54" x 84" Double (Full) - Dual Controls 54" x 74" Double (Full) - Dual Controls - Long 54" x 80" Queen - One Control 60" x 80" Queen - Dual Controls 60" x 80" Queen (XL)- Dual Controls 60" x 84" King (XL)- Dual Controls 76" x 84"