How to Keep Your Bedroom Warm in the Winter

As the mercury plummets and summer jackets are replaced with winter coats, you’re probably feeling that tell-tale chill in your bedroom. And given how important it is to stay warm in bed, we’ve pulled together some hints on getting your bedroom winter ready.

You spend one-third of your day sleeping. Meaning 33% of your day is spent in your bedroom, or more if your bedroom pulls double-duty as a workspace. As such, it’s important to maintain an even temperature as the cold sets in.

But as it isn’t always possible or practical, especially during the Cost of Living Crisis we’re facing today, to boost the central heating up to sauna levels, you’ll need to be creative to banish wintery conditions and keep your bedroom toasty.

Whether it’s old-school hot water bottle hacks, finding and eliminating pesky drafts or infusing your interior design with practicality, there are plenty of ways to keep your bedroom warm. No matter how much snow falls outside.

Why It's Important to Keep Your Bedroom Warm

Who doesn't love a cosy bed? Whether you're settling down for a well-earned snooze or lazing away a Sunday morning with a trophy-sized mug of coffee, there's no feeling quite like that undercover snugness.

But it's more than just soul-nourishing; keeping warm in bed plays a vital role in ensuring you get the best night's sleep possible. And, as you know, poor-quality sleep impacts your overall health and wellbeing in innumerable ways - from grogginess and exhaustion to weight gain and weakened immunity.

So, let's explore how to make (and keep) a bedroom warm.

Tailor Your Tog Number

Your summer duvet isn't going to cut it now the clocks have gone back. Take this as your reminder to switch it out for a heavier duvet.

It's important that your duvet is appropriate for both the season and the ambient temperature in your bedroom. So, as winter settles in, you'll want to switch to something in the 13.5 tog range, meaning you'll be properly insulated (read: cosy) during the winter months.

That said, if you or partner is basically a human radiator, you might want opt for a slightly lower tog count (perhaps 10.5) and add a blanket as and when needed.

View our Duvet Tog Guide for more detail on what duvet tog ratings mean and how to pick the right one for you.

Banish Drafts & Chills

On average, health services spend an eye-watering £3.6m per day treating conditions caused by cold homes. So, as you can imagine it’s vital that you identify and eliminate any drafts or chills that may be dragging down the temperature in your home.

But how? A time-tested track for identifying drafts in your bedroom (or any room, for that matter) is to light a tealight and waft it slowly past your doors and windows. If the flame flickers at any point, you’ve got air coming through.

Once you’ve identified any draughty spots, cover them up using a draft excluder and use insulated curtains and blinds to prevent the cold from entering your room.

Voila! A draft-free room for maximum toasty vibes.

Be Strategic With Style

We’ve got a winter bedroom hack particularly good for those of you with wood or laminate flooring. You see, if floors aren’t sufficiently insulated, with carpet or insulation, they account for between 10-20% of a room’s heat loss. As such, it’s important to make your interior design pull double duty and provide an eye-catching style, underpinned by practical heat retention.

So, deploy the thickest (and most stylish) rugs possible as they’ll trap the heat and help to insulate the room whilst adding to your chosen aesthetic. Thicker piles tend to work better for this purpose.

You can also try insulated curtains. They may not sound stylish, but they’re available in a range of colours and styles suited to even the most specific of tastes.

Practical style: it's the new Hygge. And speaking of Hygge...

Create a Cosy Atmosphere

Think back to when you were a kid. As winter set in, did you ever used to warm yourself up by literally thinking of sunnier climes? Well, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere in your bedroom is that - but for adults.

Like Hygge (the Danish art of cultivating cosy indoor spaces), favouring warm bedroom décor can pose legitimate benefits to your wellbeing and promote better sleep during those dark winter months.

For example, you might combat the lack of natural daylight with stylish candles or burn scents with sleep-boosting properties such as lavender, vanilla, or jasmine. You might even redecorate your bedroom with a soft, warm colour palette in mind (golds and deep reds are ideal!)

However you cultivate cosy, be sure to think tactically and cover bare floors with thick rugs, draughty windows with heavy curtains, and beds with warm blankets.

Hot Water Bottle Hacks

An oldie, but a goodie

Your humble hot water bottle is a mighty ally when it comes to keeping warm in bed - but you know that already. What you might not know is that there’s a more efficient method of heating up things up between the sheets that doesn’t require you to curl yourself around a boiling rubber bottle.

So, instead of climbing into bed clutching your hot water bottle, try slipping it between the sheets an hour or so before you go to bed, removing it before you do.

By doing so, you’ll have toasty sheets that won’t have you sweltering. And with the right duvet, you’ll maintain an even temperature all night long.

Add Blankets to the Mix

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But if you’re looking to keep a bedroom warm in winter, blankets are an unsung hero.

Whether flung over your duvet for an extra layer of warmth or draped around your shoulders as you squeeze in some bedtime reading, adding a blanket (or two) to your sleep setup is a cost-effective way of staying warm that doubles as a style choice.

Of course, you don’t want to be too warm, so consider the thickness of the blankets you’re curling up beneath, in the same way you’d consider duvet togs.

Lastly (and most importantly), avoid blankets made from itchy materials, unless you want to wake up scratching at 2am. And 3am. And 4.28am. You get the point.

Adjust your Heating Accordingly

We’ve talked a lot about cost-effective ways of keeping your bedroom warm in winter, but the reality is that at some point you’ll have to turn your heating on.

Temperature plays an important role in how comfortably you drift off to sleep (and stay asleep), so it’s important that when you do crank up the heating dial, it’s turned to a sensible number.

According to The Sleep Charity, the ideal sleeping temperature is between 16–18⁰C, but you may find that your bedroom drops below this range without some extra heat, and even a temperature of 12°C is low enough to cause restlessness.

To compensate for the cold, be sure to set your thermostat to warm your bedroom to the ideal temperature before you go to bed.

Remember, you don't need to have it running all day, as this is a waste of energy and money. Instead, set the timer to begin heating your room around an hour before you usually go to bed so that you'll feel the benefits of it throughout the night.

So, if you're looking to keep warm in bed this winter, it's important that you:

• Select the right duvet with the right tog number
• Find and eliminate drafts
• Incorporate thick rugs and heavy curtains
• Dig out your hot water bottle
• Invest in blankets