How to Prepare Your Bedroom for the Cold

Crawling into a snug bed is one of fall and winter’s great pleasures. A bedroom around 65 degrees can improve sleep, but cooler temperatures call for certain measures.

Here’s what you’ll need when the mercury drops.

Michael Hession

1. Plush flannel sheets are cozier than crisper cotton sheets, so they’re perfect for colder rooms or cool sleepers. A good set can help you stay warm without overheating.

Consider the best flannel sheets

2. Down comforters provide warmth and feel lighter than a wool blanket. Many are lofty and well-constructed, but the real trick is finding one that’s well-priced and guaranteed to last.

Read more about the best down comforters

3. Duvet covers increase a comforter’s warmth and also protect it from dirt and sweat. Versions made from long-staple cotton flannel are softer and warmer than ones made of percale and linen.

These are the best duvet covers

4. On an especially cold night, you may want to preheat the bed. A heated mattress pad is superior to a heated blanket for insulation and safety, even if a heated blanket is more convenient.

Read more about heated mattress pads

5. Weather stripping can keep cold air out by filling gaps in your window frames, and is also durable and slick enough to let the windows open and close freely.

Here’s how to prepare your home for winter

6. A space heater can warm up a smaller room like a bedroom quickly and effectively. Turn it off before falling asleep, though, for safety’s sake.

These are the best space heaters

7. Humidity is generally lower in winter, and heaters can dry your home’s air even further. Humidifiers that can help prevent dry, chapped skin and scratchy throats without disrupting your sleep.

Try one of the best humidifiers