Keep Your Bed Warm This Winter Without Cranking the Heat Up

Fall, winter, and early spring require a different bed cover set-up for families who want to stay warm in bed without leaving the thermostat on a furnace or central heating system cranked up all night. A 2009 New York Times article helped confirm what many of us already realized, namely that is easier to go to sleep in a cooler room. A temperature between 60 and 68-degrees Fahrenheit is perfect for an optimal level and quality of sleep. On a cold winter's night, the extra coziness offered by a nice, warm bed makes sleep even more luxurious and comfortable. There are a few products for both bed and body to help make your bed an even more inviting respite from cold weather.

Flannel Sheets

Flannel sheets are a great cold weather option to keep your bed warmer without heaters. While regular sheets require your body heat to create a warm area in the bed, flannel sheets are not frigid upon entering the bed and adjust to body temperature quickly. An added benefit is that flannel sheets are not an instant chill if you happen to roll over in the night.

When you are picking out your flannel sheets, look for a sheet with a heavier weight. Heavier weights are a better quality fabric and are even warmer than the standard flannel sheets you can purchase at any time in a mass merchandising store. To get a real bargain on flannel sheets, keep an eye out post holiday for themed sheets for Christmas and winter. These sheets are predominantly flannel and are greatly discounted as early as one day after Christmas.

Fleece Pajamas

Fleece pajamas are an exceedingly soft and lightweight sleepwear option for the man, woman or child who is looking for a set of pjs capable of providing heat without adding a lot of bulk to the body or being as form-fitting as a pair of long-johns. Again, this is a great item to pick up on sale post-holiday. Santa is a always a valid pajama option when he's a bargain!

Hot Water Bottles

Hot water bottles are not merely a remnant of times gone by, they are a very efficient way of keeping extremities such as your feet and hands warm without having to use a heater or wait for several minutes for bed covers to warm up with body heat. Many times when our hands and feet are warm, our bodies feel completely cozy, so by paying special attention to these points we are miles ahead!

Be conscientious this winter about establishing an alternate means of staying comfortable in bed while maintaining a colder ambient temperature in your bedrooms. This will allow you to have a better quality of sleep while saving major funds on heating expenses.

Sources:

MacFadden Communciations Group. Warming Up; Flannel Suppliers Are Getting Ready for the Winter with Heavier Weights and a Focus on Luxury. The Free Library.

Fleece Pajamas. Stitch N Save.