WITH the weather getting chillier you may be thinking about how to make your house warmer without spending loads on heating bills.
Thankfully experts have revealed some top tips to sleeping in the cold without paying a penny.
Sleep guru Dr Daisy Mae offered expert advice to Get Laid Beds on getting good sleep during the colder months.
She said: “The energy crisis currently happening in this country is reaping havoc in households everywhere.
“Not only does this cause a huge amount of stress, for many of us it means there are some very cold nights in store.”
“Combine these two things and you’ve got a recipe for sleepless night after sleepless night.
“There are however some things you can do to alleviate this and hopefully get the much-needed hours of sleep you need to function, even when it’s cold.”
Here are Dr Daisy’s top tips…
Layering your nightwear and bedding is a must to keep the warm air in and the cold air out.
A lot of thin layers is far better for keeping warm rather than one thick layer, as it traps the air between them.
Opt for cotton or wool bedding and nightwear, and this will be the best method for trapping in plenty of warm air while keeping you comfortable.
Cotton helps your body retain heat.
Woollen bedding has been shown in medical studies to result in 25 per cent more regenerative sleep than other bedding.
A nice warm bath an hour or so before bed will raise your temperature nicely while relaxing the muscles.
Cooling down after a bath stimulates the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.
Your body temperature falls before you drift off to sleep.
But take care not to have the bath too hot as this will only make you sweat.
Combine this with a warm drink as you get ready for bed such as milk or a herbal, non-caffeinated tea and your body temperature should be just right as you plan to nod off.
Be sure to check all windows and doors are properly closed and that no air is getting through any cracks around their structures.
Most people sleep well in well-ventilated rooms, but strong drafts coming through unwanted areas can have an adverse effect.
If it’s a case of pushing a towel or old jumper at the bottom of the door, then so be it.
Also, take time to check for moving air around skirting boards, beams or any other fixtures or structures in your room.
We’re all too familiar with getting out of bed on a cold morning, it’s one of life’s toughest challenges.
But now that it is getting colder, sticking to your daily routine, getting into and out of bed at the same time every day will pay huge dividends when trying to get to sleep.
Your circadian rhythm plays a vital role in helping your sleep cycle stay consistent, but this simply doesn’t work if you’re umming and ahhing about getting out of bed for a few more hours than normal.
Bite the bullet in the morning and reap the rewards when you get back into bed at night.
It may not be sunbathing weather, but at any given opportunity you should let the sunshine through into your bedroom as much as possible.
After a full day or so of sun, this will increase the temperature in your room and will set a good foundation of heat in the room for when it’s time to go to bed.
A small tip, but one that will be very useful for keeping energy bills down.
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
