Sleep Warm

After living in the Tahoe area for twenty five years, I’ve learned a few things about keeping warm at night. We mostly heated our house with a woodstove, so by two o’clock it turned very cold in the house and no one wanted to get up and put more wood on the fire.

When we married, my English grandmother gave us a goose down duvet as a wedding gift. This was in the 70’s, before Americans had any idea of what a duvet was. Heaven! When I needed to buy a new one, I thoroughly researched them since it is somewhat of an investment. By far the best deal is Costco – highest thread count, highest down count, lowest price. They have them at Costco.com. While you’re at it, buy their down pillows too. I can’t live without mine.

About ten years ago we bought a feather bed, which was more of an investment, but worth it, creating an envelop of warmth around us. We bought a high quality one and it has been warm and soft since. I had to get extra deep fitted sheets to go over it, but those are easier to find now. I just flip it and shake it every couple of days.

I’ve taken a few trips to England, where I’ve been colder than I’ve ever been in Tahoe. It’s a dampness that I’m simply not accustomed to. When I was thirteen years old, I became obsessed with hot water bottles, insisting that I buy one while we were there. I got a nice quilted lavender one, which I used for years. When I went back, they had moved up to electric bed warmers. A flat panel, like a heating pad but larger, that you put between the sheets and turn on shortly before going to sleep. You whip out the bed warmer and jump into the warm sheets. You can do the same with a heating pad, but it only warms one spot, probably your toes. I know people through history have warmed rocks or bricks in the fire and wrapped them with towels to warm the bed, but I am afraid of them exploding, so I’ve never done it.

When we moved to Donner Lake, both of our kids complained bitterly that their rooms were too cold. I guess Brad and I didn’t notice because we have each other for body heat. So I bought them electric mattress pads. Problem solved! They loved them. I bought Sunbeam from Sears, but they have them in most department stores. Turn them on 30 minutes before you go to bed and you’re toasty all night long.