With summer a fading memory and cold, autumn weather now starting to grip the country, it’s time to put away the low-tog, warm-weather duvets for another year.  Frosty nights will soon be upon us and decisions have to be made about how we are going to keep warm this winter.  However, when considering what to put on your bed there are plenty of things to consider.  Whether or not to heat the room throughout the night is one issue of course.  For financial and health reasons many people prefer NOT to have the central heating going all night. If the idea of having the heating on at night makes you shiver, read on and see what your options are as to the type of covers you’ll need this winter.

Different covers for different people

Some people like a really warm, toasty bed that stays like that the whole night.  Older people, especially, might come into this category if, for example, they suffer from poor circulation.  In this case their bodies are likely to cool down rapidly, so they will certainly need a warm bed to sleep in.  This might be achieved by electric under- or over-blankets, thick woollen blankets or a high-tog duvet. 

Many people though prefer to just take the chill off a cold bed by slipping a hot water bottle in before bedtime.  After that they can rely on their own (plus anyone else’s who happens to be sharing the bed) body heat to keep the area warm throughout the night.  A good quality duvet should do that if used properly and can be the best solution for those who do not like the inconvenience and possible discomfort of tucked in sheets and heavy blankets and throws.  These can, after all, present the problem of unwelcome weight on the legs and feet, thus resulting in a disturbed night’s sleep.

The best cover for comfort

The best bed cover could be a high quality duvet, perhaps filled with goose feathers and down.  These will provide a warm barrier between the person in bed and the cold air in the room, settling as they do around the body shape and trapping that warm air inside.  The lightness of the material can be deceptive but there can be no doubt about the effectiveness of this kind of bed cover.  They tend to be more expensive than those filled with synthetic material, but many would consider them well worth the extra expense.

Some still hark back to the traditional idea of sheets and blankets and it is possible to get modern blankets that are warm as well as being relatively light in weight.  Different people will have their favourites but the bottom line is that we all want to be cosy and warm this winter, and it’s possible to cater to all tastes by having a variety of different covers on hand.