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Warm Sleepers and Cold Sleepers

I was looking over a camping website and found a discussion going about “warm sleepers” and “cold sleepers”. A warm sleeper is the type of person who doesn’t need blankets and can sleep comfortably outside without zipping up the sleeping bag. A cold sleeper will shiver through a night that a warm sleeper wouldn’t even notice.

Some of what makes you a warm sleeper or cold sleeper isn’t stuff you can affect easily. Your metabolism and body size play a large part in determining what kind of sleeper you are. But there are some things you can do to make your sleep more comfortable.

  1. Food — the right foods before bedtime can help your body generate heat. Carbs are good for a quick burst from the body furnace, but proteins will keep the burn going all night long.
  2. Drink Up — if you are low on liquids, your blood flow can become sluggish. That means you’re going to feel cold! Drink plenty at dinnertime and a warm beverage before bed to keep yourself warmer at night. However, this might not be a good idea if you have a tiny bladder.
  3. Insulation/Heat Retention — tucking the blankets in close to your body means less empty space that needs to be heated. In sleeping bag terms, think about the mummy cut type — narrower at the feet so you aren’t wasting energy trying to warm a whole lot of empty space.
  4. The Canopy Effect — those old-fashioned canopy beds helped keep a buffer zone of warmer air around your sleeping space. Even mesh curtains around your bed can keep the temperature 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the room.
  5. The Right Pajamas — too much bulky or constrictive clothing can slow your blood flow and leave you shivering. Wear something loose and dry to stay warm and comfortable.
  6. Pump Up Before Laying Down — get your heart rate up to get the blood flowing. The heat your body generates from even brief exercise will warm you and your bed up nicely.

I am most definitely a cold sleeper. But I kind of like it that way! I love to have the window open all winter — just a crack, mind you — and burrow down underneath a pile of blankets.

It can be a challenge to share the bed with the opposite type. A cold sleeper can curl up to a warm sleeper for comfort, but the warm sleeper may not appreciate the heaping pile of blankets. My parents are one of each type, and eventually decided to use separate sets of blankets at night. My father the warm sleeper has just one; my mother the cold sleeper can have as many as she needs to be comfortable.

Ready for more tips to stay warm?