You go to bed, the duvet is warm, but your feet stay cold for ages. It's one of the most common little winter annoyances, and it often keeps you from falling asleep. Good news: in most cases, a few evening habits are enough to change everything.
The essentials
- Feet are far from the heart and cool down quickly as soon as the body rests.
- The most effective approach: get into bed with feet that are already warm, rather than warming them once you're in.
- A cold floor late in the evening is a sneaky culprit: keep slippers on until bedtime.
- If your feet are cold all the time, with unusual discomfort, talk to a doctor.
Why are your feet cold in bed?
Here are the most frequent reasons, often combined:
- You walked barefoot on a cold floor just before bed: bathroom tiles, hallway floorboards.
- You sat still for a long time, in front of a screen or a book, legs crossed.
- Your feet are slightly damp after a shower, and moisture cools.
- The bedroom is too cool for you, or the bed is cold when you get in.
- Your socks are too tight and leave marks at the ankle.
- You've eaten little or you're tired: the body saves its heat.
- It's just how you are: some people simply feel the cold more in their hands and feet.
9 simple habits to fall asleep with warm feet
1. Keep your slippers on until the last moment
The simplest and most underrated habit. If you cross a cold floor after your shower, your feet lose their warmth in minutes. A lined slipper that comes up to the ankle, like the Merano faux-fur slipper, keeps the warmth all the way to bed. Leave them at the foot of the bed for the morning.
2. Dry your feet well, between the toes too
A damp foot cools much faster. A towel, thirty seconds, done.
3. A lukewarm foot bath before bed
Ten minutes in lukewarm (not hot) water is pleasantly warming. Dry carefully and put on socks or slippers straight away.
4. Move for five minutes
A few laps of the hallway, rising onto your tiptoes twenty times, ankle circles: movement warms you naturally.
5. Pre-warm the bed
Slip a hot water bottle to the bottom of the bed ten minutes before you get in, then remove or move it: your feet arrive in a bed that's already warm.
6. Choose loose bed socks
In fine wool or thick cotton, with no tight elastic. They should keep you warm without marking the skin.
7. Add a throw at the foot of the bed
An extra layer just over the end of the bed, where your feet need warmth, without overheating the rest of your body.
8. A caffeine-free hot drink
A herbal tea or warm milk in your evening ritual helps you feel warm and relaxed.
9. Insulate your floor
A thick rug by the bed and in the bathroom avoids direct contact with a cold floor, morning and night. More ideas in cold feet at home: our tips.
The evening ritual that works
Shower, careful drying, slippers, herbal tea, five minutes of reading under a throw, hot water bottle out, and into bed. Your feet arrive under the duvet already warm, and that's all that matters. For a whole winter of warmth, indoors and out, the Winter Trio brings together the Merano slipper, the Alba outdoor slipper and the Cortina booties for €79.98 instead of €119.97.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a good idea to sleep in socks?
Yes, if they're loose and clean. They help many people who feel the cold to fall asleep faster. Take them off if you get too warm during the night.
Can you sleep in slippers?
Not ideally: they're made for walking, not for bed. Wear them until bedtime, then switch to bed socks.
When should you worry?
If your feet are cold all the time, change colour or come with pain or tingling, talk to a doctor.
Read also
- Sleeping well in winter: our tips
- Save on heating without feeling cold
- Vegan fur-lined slippers: how to choose
Warm from tonight: discover our fur-lined vegan suede slippers.
