Stay warm in bed.
This winter, transform your bed into a warm sanctuary. With freezing temps outside, you want cosy comfort when you crawl under the covers. But shivering all night defeats the purpose! Not this year. Follow our five tips to say bye to chilly nights and make your bed a toasty nest of warmth no matter how cold.
1. Invest in a warm duvet
The first step to winter warmth is ensuring your duvet is up to the task. Look for a winter duvet with a tog rating of 12.5 or higher - the tog rating indicates the duvet's warmth and insulation levels, with a higher tog meaning more warmth.
The filling you choose also makes a difference. Goose or duck down provides exceptional warmth due to the fluffiness and air pockets. But down duvets can be pricey. Synthetic options like hollow fibre or microfibre offer outstanding performance at a lower cost, and they have no animal cruelty attached.
2. Choose a memory foam mattress (or topper)
Upgrade your mattress to memory foam for even more warmth. Memory foam contours to your body shape and has better heat retention than other mattress types. It keeps you nestled in a cocoon of comfort while limiting heat loss.
Couple memory foam with a plush mattress topper for heavenly warmth. The foam also reduces pressure points to ease aches and pains, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Check out the Silentnight 7-Zone Memory Mattress if you want a pure foam mattress – it has a medium feel perfect for side sleepers and a luxury knitted sleep surface.
Those wanting the support and bounce of pocket spring mattresses should check out the Giltedge Beds Comfort 1,000 and the Sleepeezee G4.
3. Add a heated mattress topper
Turn up the cosy even more with a heated mattress topper. These electric pads sit on your mattress and gently warm as you sleep. Heated mattress toppers only cost around 5p per hour to run. Switch it on about an hour before bed so it can preheat. Then, slip under the covers into a soothing warmth.
Look for a heated mattress topper with adjustable temperature settings. Having options like low, medium, and high heat allows you to customise the temperature for maximum comfort. Some even have a timer you can set so it turns off automatically after 1-9 hours.
Heated mattress toppers cost anywhere from £30 to £100 depending on the brand and size, with Amazon and eBay being great places to start.
4. Cosy up with a heated blanket
Heated blankets deliver targeted warmth right where you want them. Electric blankets with integrated heating wires plug into an outlet. Battery-powered heated blankets offer portability to stay warm as you read or watch TV in bed.
Since you sleep directly on top of a heated blanket, the warmth radiates into your body all night, making them ideal for providing consistent, all-over heat.
Heated blankets cost around £40, although ones with more luxurious fabrics can cost more than £100. Be sure to shop around for the best deals.
5. Warm your bedroom economically
One final way to boost bedtime warmth is heating your bedroom. Space heaters offer an affordable solution without having to crank up the thermostat. Portable electric fan heaters at 500 watts cost just 10p per hour to run. Higher wattages, around 2000 watts, offer more power for larger rooms but cost about 45p per hour.
Go for a fan heater with oscillation to distribute the warm air evenly. Position it near your bed about 30 minutes before getting in. A slight boost in ambient room temperature makes a big difference in comfort.
Another cheap and novel way to heat your bedroom is with a hairdryer – try blasting it on max power for five minutes to take the edge off your cold bedroom.