Cold night can happen at any time of the year in the UK. In the last few years especially we have seen some utterly freezing nights where temperatures have reached minus double figures.

So if you’re reading this when it’s particularly cold and have been suffering on those long nights then follow this simple guide and you’ll stay more comfortable.

Make sure your bedroom is the right temperature

You’ll want to ensure the room is sufficiently warm enough throughout the night. Although blasting the heating on isn’t a great idea – it can dehydrate you, not to mention cost a lot, so it may be an idea to make it kick in if it gets below a certain temperature. The ideal temperature for sleeping is around 16 Celsius, though obviously different people will feel the cold more than others.

Wear suitable pyjamas

Whatever they say about sleeping naked being more effective in the cold, it’s actually a better idea to get a decent set of pajamas. Again, this will depend on your preferences, but if you are one to feel the cold then you’ll want to do everything to wrap up. You can make yourself even warmer by wearing a loose pair of socks overnight, or putting your jammies in the tumble dryer to warm them up first.

Warm the inside of the bed

It’s always the “getting under the duvet”  stage that can be particularly horrible on a cold night. So whether you decide to use a hot water bottle or a decent electric blanket, getting into a bed that is already warm can make all of the difference and help you drift off into a comfortable sleep. Electric blankets aren’t for everyone and some people are worried about the safety of them, but by just following the instructions provided it’s extremely unlikely that there would be an issue.

Use a thick duvet or extra blankets

Make sure that you get a duvet with a high tog number. Ideally get a 13.5 which is usually the thickest you can find and is sure to keep you as snug as possible. If you aren’t finding the duvet alone enough to keep you warm then use additional blankets – tuck these under the mattress so you can get under them and not have any cold air getting into the bed and onto your skin.

Don’t place your bed next to a wall

Placing your bed next to an exterior wall is asking for trouble as these will conduct the cold air from outside, so you will be sleeping in the near-arctic conditions. Condensation can also form on these walls which, if left untreated can turn to mould which can be damaging to your health if you are breathing it in over a long period.

Jacob Holden lives in a small terrace in Bradford which gets particularly cold in the winter months. He recently decided to buy an electric blanket – a purchase which he certainly hasn’t regretted when it comes to those freezing nights!