You should never sleep with your heating on, even when the temperature plummets.
Winter is well and truly upon us, with Storm Bert bringing high winds and lashings of rain to many parts of the country just days after some areas woke up to snow. All this cold weather makes snuggling under the covers and staying in bed all day very appealing, as we just want to stay as warm and cosy as possible.
This week has also seen many of us cave and turn on our heating to stay warm at home. But if you’re tempted to leave it on overnight so you can be extra cosy while you sleep, experts have urged you to rethink.
According to sleep experts, going to bed with your heating on can actually be bad for your health, while a GP claimed there are even some long-term health risks you might not expect from sleeping with the heating on.
To make matters worse, you can’t even swap to using an electric blanket for extra warmth at night, as a viral TikTok video from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue states they can be a fire risk, so they should never be left unattended or used while sleeping.
According to sleep expert Martin Seeley from MattressNextDay, sleeping with your heating on can lower the quality of sleep you get overall, as it impacts your sleep cycle.
He said: “Your body temperature naturally drops as you fall asleep, allowing you to enter the deeper, restorative phases of slumber. Sleeping in a heated room interferes with this process, leaving you tossing and turning. The result? Poor-quality sleep that leaves you feeling groggy and irritable the next day.”
Heating systems can also dry out the air around you, and while you sleep this can lead to dehydration and respiratory irritation. You may notice this in symptoms such as a dry throat, chapped lips, irritated skin, sinus discomfort, or worsening allergies.
Other problems caused by sleeping with the heating on include accelerated skin ageing due to dehydration, and even an increased risk of waking up feeling fatigued as your body works harder to regulate its temperature.
And there are long-term health issues that can arise from sleeping with the heating on regularly. These can include chronic sleep disruption, a weakened immune system, cardiovascular stress, and metabolic disruption.
If you do find yourself struggling in the cold when you go to bed, there are things you can do to help yourself stay warm. Investing in thermal tech such as heat-retaining pyjamas or socks can help keep your body warm without overheating your whole bedroom.
You can also place a hot water bottle in your bed before you get in to help warm the sheets up ahead of time, while drinking a non-caffeinated hot drink before bed can raise your core temperature to keep you cosy.
You might be tempted to use an electric blanket to keep warm in cold weather, and while these can be fantastic purchases, they should still never be used at night.
A TikTok video from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue points out: “Electric blankets are a very cost effective way to keep warm this winter. However, it is important that we make sure we use these correctly.
“Before use, make sure you check for any damaged cables as this may affect the use of the blanket. Make sure it is plugged into a wall socket and not an extension cable, and you must make sure it is unplugged and turned off before you go to bed.”
