Similar to how bears enter into hibernation during the cold winter months, us humans tend to require more sleep than usual as the temperature drops.
After all, there is nothing cozier than snuggling into bed on a chilly winter night, wrapped up in our favorite flannel pjs with the blankets piled high. Especially after reading a book in front of your toasty fireplace
However, the fact that winter offers us the perfect opportunity to show-off our fashion forward footie-pajamas is not the only reason that we crave more shut-eye throughout those winter months.
Why does winter make me so tired?
The winter months are generally seen as a magical time of year, often summoning images of cheerful holiday parties, glistening snow covered streets, and twinkling white lights.
But as we say hello to all of that ‘tis the season merriment, we tend to forget that we also say goodbye to several hours of daylight, warmer temperatures, and for some, a (formerly) trim waistline.
Less Light = More Sleepiness
Scientific research supports the fact that changing weather conditions disrupt the natural processes that occur in our bodies, meaning major impacts to our sleep cycles.1
As the sun begins to set earlier in the day during winter months, our bodies respond by producing more melatonin, the hormone that tells our brain it’s time for sleep.2 Melatonin production is based on natural light, so, with less natural light, comes an increased desire to snooze.
You Want Me to Keep My Thermostat at What Temperature?
Aside from less natural light, winter months promise a chilly drop in temperatures, depending on where you live, of course. And while that frigid winter air may have you fantasizing about pulling the blankets over your head for a warm night’s sleep, in reality, colder outdoor temperatures can actually have an undesirable effect on sleep quality.
Regardless of the temperature outside, your most restful sleep is achieved in temperatures ranging from approximately 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, I know what you’re thinking: You want me to set my thermostat to 60 degrees?? Even when its -20 degrees outside?? The simple answer is…yes.3
When patches of ice start forming outside, we all tend to pump up that thermostat into sweltering new heights. Unfortunately, doing so can have horrible side effects on your sleep cycle. Temperatures that are too warm tend to confuse our body’s natural desire to cool off during sleep.
On the other hand, the benefits of sleeping in a properly chilled room, even during those cold winter nights, are extensive. Sleeping in temperatures between 60-68 degrees have been proven to not only help you fall asleep faster, but also allow your body to fully reach deep REM sleep. Not to mention the fact that cooler temperatures reduce your risk for certain metabolic diseases and increase melatonin, keeping you looking younger.4So, while your inclination may be to turn that thermostat up in the winter, fight that urge! If 60 degrees is just too cold a pill for you to swallow, start at a slightly gentler temperature like 68 or 69 degrees and gradually reduce it. When you glance in the mirror and notice how youthful rested you look, you will be thankful that you took the plunge.
Warm and Fuzzy Sleeping All Year Long
So, perhaps the question shouldn’t be, how to sleep warmly during the winter months, but rather, how to sleep comfortably in temperatures of 60-68 degrees during any month?
If the mere mention of setting your bedroom thermostat to 60-68 degrees has you shaking in your boots, try some of these tips to stay warm and cozy all night long.
1. Bust out the socks!
Just because your bedroom is chilly, does not mean that your toes have to be. The term ‘cold feet’ doesn’t just apply to pre-nuptial nerves, as cold feet can be very disruptive to sleep.
A very simple and common solution to chilly feet is tucking your toes into a pair of wool or heavy-duty socks; to keep your toes toasty.
Personally, I can’t stand wearing socks to bed. They get all bunchy and generally make me too hot. However, my husband refused to go to sleep without socks, swearing that they helped him sleep.
In reality, I think he just wore them to bed to get on my nerves since every week when I pulled off the sheets to be washed, I was met with 30 little sock surprises…every single night he would peel those socks off and bunch them up at the end of the bed. Then complain about having no socks for work. (Insert eye-roll here.)
But, to each their own. Ultimately, if your have a tendency to get cold feet at night, breaking out those fuzzy socks or footie pajamas is a simple solution for a better (and warmer) night’s sleep.
2. Splurge on your bed linens!
While it may cost a bit more today, splurging on high quality sheets and pillows is totally worth it. Aside from the fact that no one wants to sleep on scratchy, rough sheets that crunch and bunch with your every movement, high quality sheets can actually help with temperature regulation.
Look for sheets and pillows that offer temperature control. Now, I’m not talking about electric blankets (see tip #8 for that), but rather sheets that are designed with some type of temperature regulating component.
These innovative sleeping materials will help your body regulate its temperature, working to absorb your body heat so that you are able to cool off when you get too warm and then re-releasing that heat when your body temperature drops.
There are multitudes of different temperature regulating sheets available with a variety of different scientific components that allow for temperature regulation. For example, one brand in particular uses something called Thermocules, little micro-capsules that are embedded into the sheets helping to cool you off and then warm you back up.
These Thermocule-style sheets were originally designed for NASA to keep astronauts sleeping comfortably, it’s cold in space! So, if you are looking for an out of this world sleep experience, try some astronaut sheets and stay warm (or cool) all night long.
3. Warm Milk (but no cookies!!)
Growing up, when I couldn’t sleep my Mom’s go-to sleep remedy was warm milk and honey. She used to say that it soothed and relaxed you from the inside out, which is somewhat true.
This thought process stems from the fact that there are trace amounts of the sleep inducing enzyme tryptophan (same one that you find in Thanksgiving turkey!), however in reality there is not enough tryptophan in a serving of milk to actually cause drowsiness.
Regardless, my Mom’s thought process was spot on. Warm drinks can provide a calming sensation to your body from the inside out, allowing you to relax and drift off into sleep thanks to a warm belly.
If the thought of warm milk makes you gag (it sounds gross to many people, though it is surprisingly delicious), try a natural relaxing tea or sugar-free hot chocolate.
And as tempting as it may be, put down the bag off cookies!! Sugar will give you that little boost of energy that you really don’t need before bed. The idea is simply to heat up from the inside, gently sending you off into a warm sleep, so avoid any unnecessary sugar and caffeine.
4. You’re in hot water now!
Cold feet are extremely distracting when trying to sleep. And it really doesn’t matter whether the freezing toes belong to you OR your sleeping partner (who probably rubs their icicle toes all over you, rudely giving you the chills), cold feet will make falling asleep miserable.
For some people, a solid pair of fluffy, fuzzy socks will do the job, or even a light pair of slippers. But, if fuzzy socks just aren’t cutting it in terms of keeping your tootsies toasty, try heating up a hot water bottle and placing it under the fitted sheet at the foot of your bed.
Hot water bottles are not just great for dealing with sleep-disrupting menstrual cramps, but can also give you some much needed warmth as you drop of to sleep.
While the water won’t stay hot all night long, it will dilate blood vessels and keep your body’s internal thermometer regulated. And then the next time that your partner tries freezing you out with their polar bear toes, you can push that water bottle right in between the two of you.
5. Block the Drafts!
A cool breeze creeping into your bedroom sucks. Here you are, trying to get warm, while the air around you keeps getting colder and colder. Research shows that cold drafts or breezes blowing through the bedroom can be disrupting to sleep5
A draft is ultimately any type of opening between doors, windows, or window panes that allow cold air to pass through your room. These types of drafts can give you the chills, which can make sleeping more difficult.
Ideally, you want the room temperature to remain cool but to do so without any hurricane style drafts. If you notice specifically drafty places in your bedroom, such as a crack, place a rolled up blanket or pillow over the draft to keep it from letting the cool air in.
Closing the bedroom door is often all it takes to dramatically decrease the amount of air flowing through your bedroom. Shutting your bedroom door should be your starting point when on a draft hunt.
Although the breeze from a fan is not necessarily considered a draft, for some, it can be equally disturbing. Though I must admit, I truly relish in a tornado style breeze hammering my face thanks to an overhead ceiling fan.
It was mine and my husband’s eternal bedroom battle, fan on or fan off. Ultimately, whether you sleep with a fan or not, try to keep all doors closed, windows shut, and drafty spots blocked as to not allow any unnecessary cold air to mess with your internal temperature.
6. Warm Up From the Inside Out
Along the same lines as the warm beverage tip, warming your body up before hitting the sack can really do wonders for easing into unconsciousness.
If hot drinks aren’t your thing, try a few minutes of exercise or a toasty bubble bath. Both of these activities work to raise internal body temperatures, offering a calming effect overall.
Now, don’t go out and run 5 miles right before bed…but try doing a few jumping jacks or push-ups to raise your internal body temperature before you lay down. As a rule of thumb, try to keep the light exercise to no more than 5 minutes.
Same thing goes for the bath, take a relatively short soak, meaning, get out before you turn into a prune!
7. Layer, Layer, Layer
Sleeping attire is a highly personal preference…and the options are endless. Flannel, lingerie, t-shirt and yoga pants, socks or no socks, even going au naturel (naked!).
And while you should certainly go with whichever of these options best fit your sleep needs, if you are looking to stay warm, I would avoid sleeping in the buff!
In fact, I would recommend just the opposite. Just as you would layer up to go outside and play in the snow, putting on layers when trying to stay warm in bed is a fairly straightforward solution.
Layers help to trap your body heat while you are sleeping. Leggings, long johns, flannel shirts, or long sleeve t-shirts are all good options for layering. Wearing multiple layers rather than one bulky, heavy night garment allows you to peel those layers off throughout the night, as you get too warm.
8. It’s Electric!
Electric blankets or heated mattress pads are a bit of an investment, but when the gentle warmth from these sleeping accessories seem to wrap your body up in a cozy hug and carry you off into sleep, you will be glad you made the dropped the cash.
As the name implies, an electric blanket (or mattress pad) uses electricity to heat up and keep you toasty. Many people swear by electric blankets, pointing out that they do much more than just keep you warm on a cold night.
The intense warmth that electric blankets transfer to your body have been said to help alleviate arthritis, muscle soreness, body tension, allergies, sinus pressure (do you have to put it on your sinuses for this one to work?), and even flexibility.
While I cannot attest to any of these claims, I know that a heating pad really helps when I have horrible cramps or back aches, and an electric blanket is essentially a giant heating pad, right?
A major issue when it comes sleeping with heating pads is that they are long considered a fire hazard, meaning that you really should unplug the blanket entirely before falling asleep.
Seems kind of counterproductive though, doesn’t it? You use an electric blanket to warm your body on a cold night and help you drift off to into sleep, yet you have to jolt yourself awake to unplug it so that you don’t heat up so much that you end up burning the house down…doesn’t make much sense.
One suggestion to help you warm up using an electric blanket or heated mattress pad with no risk of waking up in a blazing fire, is to turn the blanket and/or mattress pad on and place them in your bed for about 30 minutes before you get in. Once you do decide to get into bed, unplug the electric items first, and then slip into an insanely toasty (and fire-hazard free) bed.
If you really want to fall asleep with the electric blanket on you will be pleased to know that there are blankets available that come with a built in timer. Simply set the time and fall asleep, your electric blanket will shut off automatically without you having to wake up.
9. Snuggle Up!
One of the best ways to stay warm and cozy in bed is by snuggling up next to someone else. Body heat is far more natural and efficient than even the best electric blanket, and a lot less dangerous too!
Single? Why do you think they call dogs man’s best friend? Summon your favorite four-legged fur-ball to the bed for the perfect warmth inducing snuggle buddy! No Pet? Teddy bear time.
As you can see, there is no shortage of ways to keep warm. Even if your to sleep on.
Do you have any secrets to keeping warm during the colder months? Share them in the comments below!