How to survive the cold winter warmly with only your own bedding such as blankets and comforters? When it suddenly gets cold, or when you feel cold with just your current futon, we asked a bedding maker lab to teach us how to sleep warmly without buying more futons and blankets.
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“Warm futon” with existing bedding! Tips for sleeping as warmly as possible with your own bedding
As the mornings and evenings get colder and winter comes, many people may wonder if they should buy extra warm bedding such as thick blankets and duvets. On the other hand, some people may be hesitant to buy extra bedding that they don’t use in the summer because they don’t want to add too many things.
This time, in order to get through the cold winter with only the bedding we have now, we asked Yumiko Nakano from the Sleep Environment Lab at the Maruhachi Research Center, a bedding maker, to teach us how to make the most of the bedding we have on hand and sleep warmly. (First published date: December 2015)
Tips for sleeping warmly 1: Inflate the comforter ・A blanket on top of the duvet
Make the feathers as fluffy as possibleShake the comforter before going to sleep . By doing so, the volume of the crushed filling increases, and the insulation and heat storage effect increases. Especially with a duvet, the “umbrella” is the key, so try to make the entire duvet evenly distributed. It is also important to dry the futon during the day or put it in a dryer to remove the moisture accumulated in the futon .
When you sleep with a duvet and blanket, put the blanket on the outside (top) . A duvet has the ability to retain heat because the feathers are warmed by body heat. Wrapping a warm duvet in a blanket prevents heat from escaping from your body.
However, if the blanket is heavy, the feathers will be crushed, and the heat retention capacity will not be demonstrated. Therefore, choose the lightest blanket you can put over your duvet . If you don’t have a light blanket, you can put a towel blanket over your comforter.
Tips for sleeping warmly 2: Put the front side of the blanket on your body, how to deal with the material of the blanket
Place the soft surface of the blanket on the side of your body.There are exceptions depending on the manufacturer and product, but the one with the label is the front of the blanket . The front side has long pile and feels good on the skin, so you can sleep warmly. Therefore, when you sleep with the blanket directly on your body or spread it out, put it on the side that touches your body .
On the other hand, the back side of the blanket has short fibers, so the friction resistance is high, and the futon in contact with the blanket does not slip easily. When you put the blanket on top of the comforter, put the back of the blanket on the side of the comforter .
Depending on the material of the blanket, the comfort and handling will also change.
Cotton blankets absorb sweat and moisture while you sleep. If it remains damp, it will lose its heat retention and absorbency, so wash and dry it frequently .
Blankets such as cashmere and wool will keep you warm as they absorb sweat and moisture and generate heat . It not only absorbs moisture but also wicks away moisture, so you don’t have to worry about washing and drying like cotton blankets.
Synthetic acrylic blankets are light and pleasant to the touch. However, since it does not absorb sweat, moisture tends to accumulate in the bed. In particular, when the bedding is warmed by body temperature, the discomfort index rises . If you are concerned about stuffiness, you may want to choose another blanket.
Tips for sleeping warmly 3: Devise a mattress that allows most of the heat to escape
It is also important to keep your bed and bed slightly away from windows and walls.When it gets cold, we tend to put more bedding on our bodies. However, most of the heat in the bed actually escapes through the mattress and mattress. To keep the heat from escaping from your bed, use two mattresses, or place a thick pad or pile towel on top of the mattress or mattress .
A TV program once conducted an experiment to see which of the following three layers, a duvet, a blanket, and a mattress, would provide the warmest sleep.
- comforter – blanket – body – mattress
- blanket – comforter – body – mattress
- comforter – body – blanket – mattress
The warmest thing in the bed was 3 “comforter-body-blanket-mattress” , followed by 2. 3 was twice as high as 1 in 30 minutes. Everyone, please try it once.
Also, it is important to keep your bed and bed 20 to 30 cm away from windows and walls . Being near a window or wall makes it easier to feel the cold air outside. If you sleep with your head facing a window or wall, sleep facing the opposite direction. This is to prevent cold air from entering the futon from the shoulders. The heat in the room escapes mainly through the windows. Consider using double-glazed windows, or changing the curtains to thicker or more insulated ones.