Why Do I Get Cold at Night and How Can I Stop It?

Two people can share one bed and end up sleeping in two different seasons, with one kicking off the duvet and the other reaching for bed socks. Getting cold at night can have plenty of explanations, from the way body temperature drops before sleep to a draughty bedroom or a duvet that’s too thin for the time of year. Being too cold is one of the usual reasons for a broken night for 13% of the people who told our 2026 UK Sleep Survey what disturbs their sleep, rising to 18% among people aged 18 to 24.

Getting cold at night can come down to a mix of the body clock, the bedroom and the bed itself:

The body’s natural cool-down

A dip in body temperature at night is usually a normal part of getting ready for sleep. A 2019 review in Frontiers in Neuroscience explains that core body temperature begins to fall about two hours before sleep, while blood vessels in the hands and feet dilate to allow heat to escape. The body’s night-time cool-down can feel chilly, especially in a cold bedroom or under a thin duvet. Our guide to circadian rhythms explains how the body’s internal clock controls daily changes in body temperature and sleepiness.

A chilly bedroom

Room temperature can make a big difference to how cold a night feels. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust advises heating the home to at least 18°C, particularly for people aged 65 or over, people who aren’t very mobile and anyone with a health condition such as heart or lung disease. Our guide to the best temperature for sleep covers how warm a bedroom should be for a comfortable night.

Bedding and nightwear

A lightweight summer duvet or thin pyjamas may not hold in enough heat once the nights turn colder. Our duvet buying guide explains how tog ratings work, and our guide to what to wear to bed covers everything from cosy layers to sleeping naked.

Waking up cold in the middle of the night can happen because core body temperature reaches its lowest point in the early hours, a few hours before waking. A study of 172 adults in the Journal of Sleep Research found core body temperature hit its lowest point at around 3.50 am in morning types and around 6 am in evening types, between three and a half and just over four hours before their usual wake-up time. Early birds and night owls can run on different timings, and our guide to sleep chronotypes explains how to tell which is which.

A duvet that slides off the bed or gets pulled to one side can leave a sleeper waking up cold. A third of people who share or have shared a bed (33%) say a partner hogging the duvet annoys them, according to our 2026 UK Sleep Survey.

Also, central heating that switches off at bedtime can leave a bedroom cooling steadily until morning.

Feeling cold and sleepy at the end of the day can both come from the body clock, since sleepiness builds as core body temperature falls in the evening.

Losing sleep may upset how the body manages heat. A small study published in the journal SLEEP in 2012 found that after one night without sleep, the temperature of eight healthy adults’ hands and feet fell out of step with each other. Eight people are a very small sample, so the finding would need testing in larger groups.

Some health conditions can cause tiredness and feeling cold at the same time. Persistent tiredness is one of the NHS-listed symptoms of an underactive thyroid, and Cleveland Clinic names fatigue as a sign of anaemia. Our guide to why you might feel tired all the time looks at everyday reasons for low energy.

Small changes to the bed and bedroom can make a chilly night much cosier:

• Layer up the bed: Switching to a higher-tog duvet for winter, with a throw or blanket on top, can add warmth on colder nights. Our winter bedding range has cosy extras.
• Add a mattress topper: A mattress topper adds an extra layer on top of the mattress, which may make a bed feel cosier on cold nights.
• Warm the sheets first: An electric blanket can take the chill off a cold bed before getting in. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, including whether it’s designed to stay on overnight.
• Pull on some bed socks: Cold feet can bother bedmates as well as their owners, with 17% of people who share or have shared a bed saying a partner’s cold feet annoy them in our 2026 UK Sleep Survey.
• Move the bed away from draughts: A bed under a draughty window or pushed against a cold outside wall may feel chillier, so shifting it further into the room could help. An NHS 111 Wales winter leaflet advises keeping the bedroom window shut on cold nights.
• Try separate duvets: Couples who run at different temperatures can each pick their own tog, and our guide to sleeping with separate bedding looks at whether it helps.
• Make the room feel cosy: Warm colours, soft textures and a rug underfoot can make a bedroom feel cosier on a cold night. Our ideas for warming bedroom colours and hygge bedroom design are a good place to start.

Feeling cold all the time can have everyday causes, such as a chilly home, or medical ones worth checking with a GP. Feeling cold in bed every night, even in a warm room under a thick duvet, can be a sign that it’s worth looking beyond the bedroom.

• An underactive thyroid: The NHS lists feeling the cold more than usual as a symptom of hypothyroidism, along with weight gain and dry skin.
• Anaemia: A lack of iron or vitamin B12 can lead to anaemia, which, according to the Cleveland Clinic, can leave people feeling chilly because less oxygen reaches the body’s tissues.
• Poor circulation and Raynaud’s: Reduced blood flow can make the hands and feet feel cold. According to health experts, Raynaud’s is a common condition in which blood flow to the fingers and toes temporarily decreases, often triggered by cold or stress.
• Low body weight: Body fat acts as insulation, so losing it due to ageing or not eating enough can make it harder to stay warm.
• Some medicines: Cold hands and feet are a common side effect of beta blockers, according to the NHS. A GP or pharmacist can advise before any medicine is stopped or changed.