Five top tips to sleep when it’s cold

The winter months are firmly upon us; the days are shorter, and the temperature has dropped. But, is the colder weather having an impact on your sleep? Are you struggling to drift off or waking up feeling chilly? If so, don’t fear. Holly Housby, sleep expert from Sealy UK, is here to help with her top tips for sleeping when it’s cold.

1. Take a bath.

Not just relaxing, having a bath before bed can actually help to promote sleep and induce tiredness. Your temperature naturally dips at night as your body prepares for rest, beginning about two hours before sleep. When you soak in a hot bath, your temperature rises by a degree or two, and the rapid cool-down immediately after the bath imitates this natural decrease of your body temperature, which can help you to fall asleep faster.

2. Wear woolly socks, not cotton!

Often, poor circulation means that our feet are the first part of our body to get cold. Wearing woollen socks can help to keep you warm throughout the night - unlike cotton, wool is an great insulator and retains heat. And even better, wool has anti-bacterial properties meaning your cosy socks are odour resistant.

3. Get moving

Exercising in the late-afternoon and early-evening can help to boost your body’s circulation and body temperature. However, it’s important to steer clear of exercise in the hour before bed, so as to avoid this having an impact on your sleep.

4. Say no to a night-cap

Not only does alcohol limit the amount of time you spend in REM sleep, the most restorative stage of sleep, it’s been suggested that alcohol can actually contribute to a lower body temperature. This is because alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate, which takes blood and heat away from the core of your body. If you still want to enjoy a nightcap in the evening, make sure you only have one, and have it as early in the evening as possible to minimise its effects at bedtime.

5. Upgrade your TOG

It goes without saying that investing in a thick, cosy duvet is important to staying warm during the winter nights. As a rule of thumb, a winter duvet should have a tog rating of 13.5 – 15. However, it’s also worth considering the filling.

Wool-filled duvets can be quite chunky, making a good choice the cold nights. However, there are also synthetic duvets which are manufactured from fibres that are designed keep you warm while you sleep, which can be a great choice for those looking for hypo-allergenic options.

For more sleep advice, visit: www.sealy.co.uk