How to sleep well during the winter months

Person Under A Winter Duvet With Legs Showing | scooms

Don't let the winter weather prevent you from getting a good night's sleep! 

Whilst we often feel more tired during the winter months, especially after the clocks have changed we don't actually need more sleep in the winter.

The main reason for increased feelings of tiredness are linked to the reduced daylight from gloomy winter weather. Less sunlight means that your brain produces more of the hormone melatonin, which regulates the body's sleep-wake cycles. More melatonin makes you sleepy.

 

OUR 5 TOP TIPS FOR SLEEPING WELL WHEN IT GETS COLDER:

  1. Don't overheat your bedroom
  2. Keep exercising
  3. Don't cold comfort eat
  4. Avoid weekend hibernating
  5. Get more light

 

1. DON'T OVERHEAT YOUR BEDROOM

You may think that you need to crank up the heat overnight to stay warm but actually your body temperature needs to slightly decrease before you can fall asleep. Make sure your bedroom stays a cosy 18°C. You'll save some money on your heating bills too!

 

2. KEEP EXERCISING

It is harder to find the motivation to exercise once it's colder but exercise really does help increase the quality of your sleep and so you shouldn't neglect to stay active during the winter months. Join a class or the gym if you want to stay inside or take a brisk walk outside during your lunch break. You'll definitely feel much less groggy and tired in the mornings.

 

3. DON'T COLD COMFORT EAT

It's always tempting to eat more warm and comforting food when it's cold and dark outside but there's no need to increase your food intake during the winter! If you want to tuck into stews, curries, etc, try to avoid eating them close to bedtime so that your body isn't still working hard to digest your evening meal when it should be settling down to sleep.

 

4. AVOID WEEKEND HIBERNATING

A cosy weekend morning curled up in your scooms duvet having a bit of extra sleep does sound like bliss but it can play havoc with your sleep. You can't catch up on the sleep that you've missed in the week and if you have irregular sleep patterns at the weekend it will affect how well you sleep during the week ahead. Try to get up at the same time every morning even if you get to sleep later than you should.

 

5. GET MORE LIGHT

Try to get as much exposure to nature light during the day. You can also try using a light-box when you wake up to help kick-start your circadian rhythm.

 

And of course, make sure that you have a great duvet!

 

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 TOP FAQS FOR SLEEPING WELL IN WINTER 

Do you need more sleep in the winter?

No, there's no biological need for getting more sleep in the winter.

How can I sleep better in the winter?

Don't overheat your bedroom, keep exercising, avoid comfort eating, don't over sleep at the weekend and invest in good quality bedding.

What temperature should my bedroom be in the winter?

Make sure your bedroom stays at around 18°C. This is the optimum temperature for a great night's sleep, not any hotter. So turn the heating down and save some money on your heating bills!

 






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Bedding size guide

DUVET SIZE GUIDE

These are standard UK bedding measurements so if you know your mattress size, you can easily work out which duvet size you need. (Width x length.)

UK sizes Duvet size Mattress size
Single 135 x 200cm (53 x 79") 90 x 190cm
Double 200 x 200cm (79 x 79") 135 x 190cm
King 225 x 220cm (89 x 87") 150 x 200cm
Super king 260 x 220cm (102 x 87") 180 x 200cm 

US/CANADA BEDDING SIZES: Approximate matches to UK sizes are US King/UK Super king, US Queen/UK King,  US Full/UK Double and US Twin/UK Single.

EUROPEAN BEDDING SIZES: Each size - Single, Double, King and Grand king - is a little larger than the UK equivalent.

Measure your mattress to see which size bedding you need: our UK v European v US mattress comparison guide.

 

DUVET TOG RATING GUIDE

Young children can overheat so if they are old enough to use a full size bed, we recommend using a single size 4.5 tog duvet.

 Tog rating Season / heat Feel
2.5 tog High summer / hot sleepers Light thermal insulation
4.5 tog Summer Lower thermal insulation
9 tog Spring & Autumn Cosy medium heat
All season 13.5 tog 4.5 tog + 9 tog Very warm
All season 11.5 tog 2.5 tog + 9 tog Warm
All season 7 tog 2.5 tog + 4.5 tog Lower warmth

 

DUVET FILL WEIGHT GUIDE

Our goose down duvets have high 700 fill power. Fill weight is measured in GSM (grams per square metre). For example view our 9 tog king size goose down duvet for more duvet details.

Fill weight (not total duvet weight)
Single All seasons - 788gsm
9 tog - 486gsm 
4.5 tog - 302gsm 
2.5 tog - 220gsm
Double All seasons - 1168gsm
9 tog - 720gsm
4.5 tog - 448gsm
2.5 tog - 320gsm
King All seasons - 1478gsm
9 tog - 911gsm
4.5 tog - 567gsm
2.5 tog - 400gsm
Super king All seasons - 1671gsm
9 tog - 1030gsm
4.5 tog - 641gsm
2.5 tog - 480gsm

 

PILLOW SIZE GUIDE

Our pillows come in two sizes and provide medium support. (Width x length.)

Standard  50 x 75cm
King 50 x 90cm

 

BED LINEN SIZE GUIDE

Our fitted sheets are deep fit, up to 40cm / 15.7" mattress depth. And our duvet covers fasten with large, easy to use buttons. (Width x length.)

Duvet cover Fitted sheet Flat sheet Pillowcase (pair)
Single 140 x 200cm 90 x 190cm 180 x 275cm
Double 200 x 200cm 135 x 190cm 230 x 275cm 50 x 75cm (Standard)
King 230 x 220cm 150 x 200cm 275 x 275cm 50 x 90cm (King)
Super king 260 x 220cm 180 x 200cm 305 x 275cm

£10 off your 1st order over £200

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