6 Ways To Warm A Bed Without An Electric Blanket

warm bed hot water bottle

You do not need an electric blanket to stay warm. Try the most popular alternatives to turn your bed warm as toast!

When an electric blanket is not an option, beds can be warmed with extra blankets, a heater in the room, adding a hot water bottle, wearing warmer clothes, sealing the windows or adding thick rugs in the bedroom. One can even use a combination of two or more to warm a bed.

Climbing into a cold bed is unpleasant, to state the obvious! But never fear, we have found the top picks for those who prefer an alternative to an electric blanket. 


6 Ways To Warm Your Bed Without An Electric Blanket

Some people prefer not to use an electric blanket. The reasons include medical reasons, trying to save power or wanting to avoid a possible fire hazard. Whatever your reason might be, there are plenty of alternatives to turn your bed into a cosy haven.

Here are the most popular options. You can try the one that sounds the comfiest or a combination of several.

  1. Use two or more blankets.
  2. Place a heater in the room.
  3. Wear warm pyjamas.
  4. Use a hot water bottle or two.
  5. Add a few thick floor rugs. 
  6. Seal the windows.

A pillow-top mattress is also a good way to warm your nights. If you want the best of the best, here are the top pillow-top mattresses that are available today.


Use Two Or More Blankets

extra two blankets

Blankets are a great way to make a bed warmer. But if you want the best results, choose blankets that are wool, cashmere, or cotton fleece. These blankets are good at accumulating warm air. This, in turn, keeps sleepers at a comfortable temperature. It might take a night or two to find out how many blankets you need to stay cosy. 

Pro Tip: Avoid making your bed too warm. The body needs to cool down to fall asleep so find a temperature that is warm enough but not hot. 

Place A Heater In The Room

True, a heater is not something that directly warms a bed as a blanket does. However, since a mattress usually adopts the ambient temperature in the room, it makes sense that a cold room will freeze up your bed. Similarly, if you use a heater in the room and the air temperature gets warmer, so will your mattress. 

This option is not perfect for many as they claim it also eats up electricity and can be a fire hazard. It is also difficult to gauge for how long it needs to stay on although you can determine this after a few nights. Using a heater in your bedroom is a great way not only to warm the bed but also the entire room during the winter months. 

While it might not be perfect in the eyes of some, it is definitely worth a try.

Found a spot on your bed? Grab our free guide filled with all the best tips about how to clean a bed.

You Can Wear Warm Pyjamas

Need an excuse to go and buy new, fluffy, and soul-comforting pyjamas? This is your moment! But seriously, what you wear to bed also directly affects how warm the mattress feels. Unfortunately, many night clothes are more about cute pictures and fashion than helping someone to sleep better. 

That being said, the right kind of pyjamas will definitely improve your sleeping hours and make you feel more comfortable in bed. Flannel, cotton, fleece, and sometimes even silk are fabrics that are suitable for colder weather. 

Grab Hold Of A Hot Water Bottle

hot water bottle

A hot water bottle is an old favourite and with good reason! When properly used, a hot water bottle (or two) can pre-heat your bed and even keep you warm for a while until you fall asleep. 

How Do I Use A Hot Water Bottle Correctly?

Surprisingly, most people fill hot water bottles incorrectly. Here is a quick guide for the best results!

Step 1: Only use a hot water bottle that has a protective cover. Direct contact with the rubber surface can cause serious burns.

Step 2: Boil water in a kettle. Some might prefer a pot but this is awkward and dangerous when trying to pour hot water into the bottle.

Step 3: As you get ready to pour, press all the air out of the hot water bottle. However, do not press the water out while you are pouring. The water could shoot back up and burn you.

Step 4: A common mistake is to pour water into the bottle directly after the kettle has boiled. The water is too hot and needs to sit for a few minutes before you can use it more safely. 

Step 5: Only fill two-thirds of the hot water bottle. 

Step 6: Make sure that you squeeze the air out again, flattening the top of the bottle. 

Step 7: Screw the plug back securely. 

Add A Couple Of Thick Rugs To The Floor

A cold floor can also chill the air in a bedroom. When you add enough thick rugs, there is no reason why you should shell out a ton of cash to insulate the floor. Area rugs are sufficient to insulate the floor and to help regulate the room temperature 

Here are the best tips to pick a great rug.

  • Choose floor rugs that are wool or thick cotton. (Here are the best wool mattresses for some extra warmth).
  • Larger rugs work better than smaller mats. 
  • Pick a couple of rugs to cover a large area of the floor.
  • If you already have mats (with no insulation ability) and you do not wish to replace them, you can slip insulation mats underneath them. 
  • You can also take it one step further. Slip a heated or thermal mat under your old rugs. 

Seal The Windows

Drafty windows can quickly drop the temperature in a room. The result? You have guessed it. A frosty bed. If you have a window that is drafty – even when it is closed – then there are things that you can do. 

One of the easiest fixes is to hang heavy curtains (or drapes) in front of the window. This will block most if not all of the draftiness trying to ruin your bed. If you want a more permanent solution, then caulking the window is definitely the way forward. 

Looking for a new bed but not sure how to navigate all the offers? Our free guide provides the best tips about how to choose a mattress that suits your needs. You can also check this guide on how often you need to change a mattress for a new one.


A Quick Summary On How To Warm A Bed Without An Electric Blanket

  • Some prefer an alternative to an electric blanket due to personal choice, savings or medical reasons. 
  • There are many other options that are just as cosy as an electric blanket. 
  • Turning the air warmer is an effective method. This can be achieved with more floor rugs, a room heater, and sealing drafty windows.
  • More direct options to warm a bed is to wear warmer pyjamas, add an extra blanket or two, and cling to some hot water bottles!

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About the Author Tom

My journey into the world of sleep came about through living in several properties over my lifetime and always seeming to have the worst luck with neighbors. All but one have been extremely noisy and very inconsiderate. What this made me realize early on, was that the little sleep my neighbors allowed me to get needed to be of great quality. So I started to learn all about sleep, and what helps people get the best quality sleep possible.