How To Find Out If You're a Hot Or Cold Sleeper

Are you someone who regularly wakes up in the night sweating, or do you often find yourself grabbing the extra covers to get warmer? Either way, your sleep quality is directly linked to how well you can regulate your temperature during your sleep and find that perfect balance for both hot and cold sleepers. 

You may be a hot sleeper if you wake up at night and your sheets are sweaty, if you often take a leg out of the covers to regulate your temperature even in the middle of winter, or if you find it challenging to fall asleep if your bed isn't cold. 

You may be a cold sleeper if you can't fall asleep when your feet are cold, you wake up in the middle of the night wishing you had another blanket on, if when you wake up, the parts of your body that happen to be out of the covers are like ice to the touch. 

Temperature fluctuations at night are part of your body's circadian rhythm. Your internal clock helps you to control your sleep cycle, and it's completely normal that your sleeping temperature fluctuates throughout your life. 

We are constantly regulating and adapting our body temperature to suit our activity. We sweat to cool the body and perform better when we work out, and when we are relaxing, our bodies cool down. This natural cycle can be hard to manage, especially in different seasons and constantly changing weather. 

The good news is that we can do something about it, and bedding choice is a significant factor. Below are a few tips and tricks for hot and cold sleepers and a quick guide on choosing the perfect bedding for a dream filled sleep.

So you've figured out you're a hot sleeper. Staying cool at night can be a real challenge, especially when it's a hot and humid night. Here are three tips for hot sleepers:

1. Block the light out of the room during the day to stop it from heating up. By eliminating the sunlight from heating the space in the first place, it's easier to stay cool at night. The bed sheets haven't had a chance to trap hot air, and you'll be able to sleep better.

2. Make sure you choose fitting pyjamas or even go without them! If you typically wear thick pyjamas, this could hinder your body's ability to regulate its temperature. By sleeping naked, you allow your body to breathe more.

So, staying cool in the summer is no problem for you. But how about winter? Being a cold sleeper, it can be a real challenge to keep hot in the cold winter months and get a good night's sleep without freezing! Here are three tips for every cold sleeper to keep you warmer in bed:

1. Wear warm comfy socks to bed: We lose a lot of our body heat through our feet, so when we cover them up in nice snuggly socks, you'll find it's much easier to stay warmer at night. Sometimes, you might find yourself taking them off in the middle of the night because it's too hot!

2. Have a hot cuppa (Non-caffeinated) before heading to sleep: Drinking a tasty hot cup of your favourite herbal tea not only relaxes you but also warms up your body, helping to take the edge off that cold night.  

3. Selecting the perfect duvet for cold sleepers is crucial in staying warm: When it comes to the duvet, it's important you get a higher tog to make sure you stay extra cosy during the colder months. A 13.5 tog would be the most suitable, especially our Natural Feather & Down duvets. They're soft, breathable and have natural thermal properties. 

It can be pretty confusing with all the bedding options to know which is best for you, whether you're a hot or cold sleeper. Getting the correct bedding for the different seasons is essential for the perfect night's rest. Here is what we recommend:

The Duvet

We recommend that you switch duvets between the summer and the winter so you can get the optimal tog for each season. You must also get a duvet that breathes, so the hot air doesn't build up inside the covers and prevents sweaty nights.

If the budget doesn't stretch to getting two separate duvets, we have the perfect solution with our Spundown all season duvet, which has a removable 4.5 tog when the summer heat kicks in.

The Bed Linen

The perfect duvet and pillow need the perfect bed linen to compliment everything. Make sure you have breathable bed sheets that suit your comfort and heat management preference. If you're a hot sleeper, we'd recommend pairing your pillow and duvet with the Smart Temperature Cooling 100% Cotton sheets and cases.