WITH autumn nearly upon us and the energy price cap rising from October, it’s little surprise many homeowners are holding off switching the heating on.
But no heating can make getting a good night’s sleep tricky – too cold and you can’t drift off, but too many heavy layers and you wake up overheating at 2am.
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So, if you’re at a loss of what to do, then no fear…because Phoebe Street, Brand Marketing Manager and Sleep Expert at Pretty You London, has shared eight practical tips to help you sleep better as the nights get cooler.
From why you should warm the bed, not the room, to the best fabrics to wear and how to stop draughts disturbing your sleep, these top tips could just be the difference between tossing and turning and drifting off with ease this autumn.
1. Warm the bed, not the room
As it gets cooler this autumn, it’s tempting to shut every window and crank up the heating to max.
But according to Phoebe, cooler bedrooms are actually better for sleep, with research showing that most people drift off best at around 16–18°C.
“The trick is keeping yourself warm whilst keeping your bedroom cool,” she advises.
“Put a hot water bottle in your bed or use an electric blanket for ten minutes before you go to sleep.
“This warms up your sheets and helps you relax, while avoiding overheating once you’re asleep due to an overly warm room.”
2. Keep hands and feet warm
The sleep expert goes on to explain that your hands and feet play a huge role in your sleep because they contain thousands of blood vessels that open up to release heat when you need to cool down, and narrow when you need to keep warm.
“That means keeping your hands and feet warm helps your body regulate its overall temperature,” Phoebe says.
“Wearing socks, putting a hot water bottle at the bottom of your bed, or even rubbing your hands together before bed to get circulation moving can all help.”
3. Layer up, but keep them light
Hands up if you ever wrap yourself up in a super thick duvet when it’s cold…well, you’re doing it all wrong.
According to Phoebe, one thick layer will trap both heat and moisture, so while you might fall asleep quickly, you’re likely to wake up feeling hot and sweaty.
Instead, she advises: “Choose light, breathable layers that you can adjust easily – for example, a 4.5 or 7.5 tog duvet with an extra breathable blanket on top gives you the flexibility to add or remove warmth through the night.
“It’s the same principle as how you’d dress in layers for a wintery hike – they make it much easier to regulate your temperature and adjust as you go.”
4. Choose thermoregulating fabrics
Phoebe points out that synthetic fabrics may initially feel warm, but they also trap heat.
“Your temperature naturally rises as you sleep, so you could end up hot, sweaty and damp,” she explains.
“As the sweat cools down, you might feel chilly again. That cycle of overheating and cooling can seriously disturb your sleep.”
Sound familiar? Well, the sleep expert has a solution.
Phoebe notes that natural fabrics behave differently – including bamboo fibres, which have a structure that lets air move while still holding onto enough warmth to keep you comfortable.
“They also wick away excess moisture quickly, so if you do get sweaty, you’ll dry off quickly,” she adds.
“So when you’re ready to invest in a new bedding setup, consider switching to bamboo.
“It may be more expensive initially, but it washes better, lasts much longer and regulates your temperature through every season.”
5. Pick the right nightwear
According to the sleep whizz, what you wear to bed matters just as much as the bedding you choose.
“Thick fleeces and wintery sets might feel cosy, but they trap heat and sweat, which can leave you waking up damp and uncomfortable later in the night,” she explains.
5 ways to keep your house warm in winter
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
“Natural, breathable fabrics like bamboo allow air to flow and wick away moisture, while still keeping you warm enough to fall asleep.”
She goes on to say that lightweight, long-sleeved sets will instead keep you warm without that stuffy feeling.
6. Block out draughts
If you live in an older house, chances are you’re very familiar with draughts.
“A cool room is good for sleep, but a cold draught running across your face or body at 3 am definitely isn’t,” Phoebe explains.
“It can cause your temperature to fluctuate, which again, leads to broken sleep.”
Highlighting how easy it is to block out such draughts, Phoebe advises rolling up a towel as a quick draught excluder (if you don’t have one), making sure windows are properly shut or simply moving your bed away from obvious cold spots.
7. Take a warm shower before bed
The sleep expert suggests that a warm (not hot) bath or shower before bed can help in two ways.
“First, it warms you up so you don’t get into bed feeling freezing,” she explains.
“Second, as your body cools down after the shower, it triggers the drop in core temperature that signals to your brain it’s time to sleep.”
She goes onto say that you’ll feel cosy getting into bed, without needing to pile on too many heavy layers.
8. Keep moisture under control
Due to the typically rainy British autumn weather, many of us are drying clothes indoors come September.
But according to Phoebe, the main problem with this is that it releases extra moisture into the air, which can make your bedroom feel even colder.
However, she points out that the fix is simple.
“Focus on creating a steady airflow in your bedroom,” she explains.
“Opening a window a tiny bit helps, without creating a draught.”
She adds that a dehumidifier is another easy fix that can make a big difference to how warm your bedroom feels overnight.
