By Jim Twamley
Everyone has a different RV sleeping profile. Some folks like to sleep with the windows open even during winter. Others prefer the warmth of an electric blanket. Some sleep with the covers off, while others like the feel of several heavy layers of blankets. Some sleep in the buff while others wear Charles Dickens-era pajamas. Some sleep with one naked foot out of the covers while others sleep with socks. It’s all a matter of personal preference.
The important issue is that you get a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed and ready for another day. Sleep researchers claim that how you begin your sleep is as important as the sleep itself. Keeping a routine at bedtime will help you begin to relax and look forward to a good night’s sleep. Avoiding caffeine and other stimulants before bedtime is also good advice.
I stumbled upon a great idea that has made a huge difference for us at bedtime. We like to sleep with the heater off and no electric blanket. During winter the bedroom gets cold and the sheets are like ice when you get in bed. It’s hard to relax when your teeth are chattering, so I started thinking about what we could do to solve the problem. I remembered seeing “bed warmers” in museums and knew they placed heated rocks in these and placed them under the sheets to make them toasty warm.
I decided to use Mrs. Professor’s electric hair dryer to do the same thing. By blowing hot air between the sheets for a few minutes it has the same effect as the ancient “bed warmers.” It’s much more relaxing and comfortable to crawl into a toasty warm bed now that we’ve discovered this winter bedtime secret.
Should you choose to try this, please be careful because you are dealing with a heated appliance which brings with it the remote possibility of a fire (make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy). I point the nozzle of the hair dryer so it does not come in contact with the sheets and I raise the top sheet high enough (about eight inches) to allow the air to billow the bedding with warm air.
Giving you something to sleep on. —Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing
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