best sheets for winter
Bed Basics

Colder Weather, Warmer Sheets

You've likely stepped outside recently to feel cooler mornings and shorter days are underway. Before you know it, winter will be in full swing along with its frigid temperatures that can be taxing on your health including your sleep.

You may be used to simply brushing off the dust from your winter linens to keep your family and house guests cozy. Go a step further and determine what type of fabric makes up your bedding to make sure it's helping, and not hurting, when you're trying to stay warm this chilly season.

First, look at the tag on your current bedding to find out its material including bed sheets, blankets and duvets covers. Consider the benefits of each of the following bedding materials, which could help you sleep better and keep you from tossing and turning in bed at night.

What Type of Sheets to Buy for Warmer Nights

  • Cotton Flannel: Today's flannel material helps retain body heat, while still allowing for breathability. It easily absorbs moisture so that you, and your sheets, stay dry if you sweat at night. You can also find lightweight flannel and stylish patterns, so you aren't stuck with the heavy flannel sheets you may connect with childhood trips to the ski lodge.
  • Sateen: Its silky texture retains heat as well as its softness makes you want to cuddle up and wrap the sheets around your entire body as you drift off to sleep.
  • Linen: Linen sheets have high heat conductivity properties — that means, it is a breathable fabric, making you warm in the winter. After a few cycles in the wash, linen sheets become even softer with time.

Material and proper care of your bedding is important, but so is setting up your room to make the sleep environment cool and comfortable as you try to reach 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

Creative Ways to Heat Up Your Sleep Space

You don't want to crank up the heat every time you get cold before jumping into bed. A room that is too hot or too cold is not conducive to healthy sleep. Here are a few tips and tricks to keep the bedroom at a comfortable temperature.

  • Put your hand up to the windows and doors. If there is a draft of cold air at the bottom, make a stop to the local hardware store to buy a draft stopper or weather stripping to keep out the draft.
  • Run a vaporizer or humidifier in the bedroom to make the room feel warmer and add moisture to the dry winter air.
  • Stick a couple warm water bottles at the foot of your bed and be sure to slip on a clean, dry pair of socks before getting under the covers. Nothing is worse when you're trying to relax than cold toes.

Here are a few more tips that will help you sleep during the chilly, winter months.

You Might Also Like

Simmons Beautysleep Ever Firm Inflatable Express Air Mattress
Bed Basics
Why You Need an Air BedYour mattress is fit for royalty. Your spare bedroom is equipped with a comfy guest bed. Maybe you even have a daybed or futon in your home office or playroom. If it seems like you have all your sleep needs met, you’re probably wondering which other type of bed you’d ever need. Here’s three reasons why you need an air bed.
An illustration of a small bedroom with a well optimized set up.
Bed Basics
Small Bedroom? Here’s Your Guide to Maximizing SpaceFrom single dorm rooms to first apartments and historic homes, many bedrooms are smaller than we’d like. While we don’t always get a say in the size of our room, we (fortunately) do get to decide what to do with it.
Two sets of feet poking out from the covers of a bed
Bed Basics
The Best Cooling Mattresses for Hot SleepersGetting hot when you sleep is an all-too-common complaint. Hot sleeping is a top sleep disruptor, and anyone who’s woken up sweaty and kicking off the blankets understands how uncomfortable it can feel. Whether you suffer night sweats or hot flashes or you just run warm, there are many products that can help solve this nighttime discomfort. Here are some of the best cooling products to help hot sleepers feel relaxed and comfortable at night.
A woman sitting on her made bed, stretching her arms out in front of her.
Bed Basics
What Exactly Is Mattress Support?Perhaps one of the most common—albeit vague—pieces of advice you’ll often hear when you’re in the market for a new mattress is to find one with “good support.” But what does that even mean? And is mattress support the same as mattress firmness? If you’ve ever wondered what good mattress support actually implies and what the right support can do for your sleep, you’ve come to the right place.
A bed with a duvet, two pillows and a blue headboard in a white bedroom.
Bed Basics
How Long Does a Mattress Last? Think about how many years you have slept on your current mattress. How long has it been since you upgraded? If you’re struggling to find an answer, that may mean it has been too long. Even if your mattress looks like it’s holding up well, it may be time to start searching for your next bed.
the pros and cons of making your bed every morning
Bed Basics
To Make Your Bed… or NotWhen it comes to household chores, making your bed is the first decision of the day. Maybe you were required to make your bed as a child. But as an adult, you get the say in whether you'll tackle this daily task or skip it entirely. The question you might ask yourself is, does it make any difference in your life and wellness? The answer is, it depends.
collection of pillows
Bed Basics
How a Pillow Fitting Can Improve Your SleepIt can be frustrating (and flat-out no fun) to sleep on the right mattress and still not get the quality rest you need. But if your mattress isn’t the problem, what is?
A close up of a mattresses texture.
Bed Basics
Should You Flip Your Mattress?Your grandparents probably flipped their mattresses, but a lot has changed in mattress technology. So does that mean you should also flip your modern mattress? While many things from our grandparents’ era are worth keeping around (hello, best apple pie recipe ever) the notion that we have to flip our mattresses in order to keep them comfortable and extend their lifespan probably doesn’t apply to your current mattress.
side sleeper uses a pillow for more lumbar support
Bed Basics
What Is Lumbar Support and Why Do I Need It?Back pain affects a lot of people. In fact, it’s estimated that 8 out of every 10 Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Luckily, our sleep experts are weighing in on ways to ease the discomfort.