Hot Sleepers vs. Cold Sleepers

[Owl]

Guess I'm the "odd guy out".

I'm normally a cold sleeper. What's interesting is that most of the original categories in the opening post on this thread don't pertain to me.

When I was younger, I had a high metabolism, very low body fat, and only weighed about 135lbs. Very fit and athletic (military). Genetics are Native American and Irish. Always been an outdoors person. And I've always slept cold.

I've gotten older, less fit, a little heavier, but all the rest remains the same. And I still tend to bundle up when I sleep...although I love a good cold breeze on my face when I'm wrapped up toasty and warm.

Not sure what the key factor is in what makes me a guy who's a cold sleeper compared to most others.

[SilvrSurfr]

When I first left Alabama and moved to England, I froze my butt off. It's not that England is that cold, but it's damp all the time. After a couple of weeks freezing in the UK, I asked the locals how they kept warm. They answered with one word: wool.

I had never owned a piece of wool in my life. I had heard it was itchy and smelly, but the next thing you know, I had wool sweaters, shirts, pants, hats and socks.

And in England, if you take your wool to the dry cleaners, they will "lanolinize" it for you. The processing of wool strips out the natural oils, and lanolinizing puts it back in. When the wool gets wet, the water just beads up and doesn't penetrate. I hardly ever wore a raincoat in England; just wool. The downside is you smell like a wet sheep.

I'm gonna buy some lanolin oil and try this on some of my sweaters.

[Les Rust]

I'm always warm and my wife is always cold; she finally says when we have to turn the heat on and i finally say when the AC has to go on. I would rather hike when its cold than when its warm. I think metabolism has a lot to do with it and my internal thermostat is set to warm. For all of that I tend to be able to get away with fewer and thinner layers when outdoors. I, too, am a big fan of wool.

[SilvrSurfr]

I'm always warm and my wife is always cold; she finally says when we have to turn the heat on and i finally say when the AC has to go on. I would rather hike when its cold than when its warm. I think metabolism has a lot to do with it and my internal thermostat is set to warm. For all of that I tend to be able to get away with fewer and thinner layers when outdoors. I, too, am a big fan of wool.

HF member Perrito swears by merino wool t-shirts for all seasons. He says they don't hold in the odor like synthetic wicking underclothes do. I'm gonna add these to my wool repertoire when I find them on sale. You can never have enough wool!

[southmark]

Well I'm an extremely cold sleeper. Blood thinners and a resting heart rate of around 43. My doctor said that there is no way that my body can generate much body heat at that slow of a heart rate. Unfortunately when exposed to cold I must preserve my warmth. If I get cold (exposed and loose my heat) I have to have an external heat source to warm again. That is why I will be one of the ones that you will see bundled up in 35º degree temps as if it is sub-zero. I have had to run the heat in my car in the mid 60's. It ain't all mental, I could fix that.

[Acer]

Hot natured, runs in the wife's family and its heriditary. Her grandmother and grand father was warm natured, Her dad was warm natured. She and most of her sisters are hot natured. She can't stand to snuggle much in bed and always has a fan blowing on her asleep every nite 365 days of the year. On my side of the family, half, in my family is cold natured. Me,,,I am middle of the road. But, in winter, just dress in layers constantly, taking off when I need to, or adding. Its in the genes....size, weight, metabolism,,,doesn't have much of anything to do with it. The wife's family phacisian has commented this to her. So,,,follow your family tree and see how it works for you. In the wife's family tree...all her greek decendants,,are cold natured,,,all her cherokee decendents,,,are all hot natured...my family tree,,same for me,,german/welsh decendents,,hot natured,,with a mix of cherokee in them in the ancient tree...and the Irish decendants,,are all cold natured which runs in my family tree. Study the tree...and see what you find in your family..

Now if your on blood thinners,,drink alot of alcohol,,etc,,etc,,lots of reasons that your bod will be cold..I too, love the wools,,super lite merinos, wear the smart wool socks all the time,,never cotton period,,even have over the years transitioned in the summers,,to the synthetic underwear, tee shirts, etc..for wicking purposes..nylon pants in the summer all the time or shorts even..then transition in cold weather back to the synthetics/wools in the cooler/colder seasons..work sometimes in the summer in light weight cottons to contain the sweat to cool moreso especially outdoors work..it all depends on what I am doing, when I am doing it,,and the outside weather climate. But..backpacking has made me more aware of what I wear and when I wear it and with all the super nice options we have before us..its unlimited.

[Acer]

Another factor to consider,,,if your a city person,,and work indoors all the time..you can be cold natured...if your a total outdoors type, and outdoors most of the time of your lifestyle/work,,,,you can be hot natured,,and acclimtized to the weather/elements..

[gmcttr]

...but one would think the endormorphs (high fat storage) would be the warmest. However, It seems the chubbier types are always cold people. Very counterintuitive...

Hey...I resemble that remark. I have decided that my layer of fat keeps my core temperature from warming the outermost fat and skin. During strenuous activity (when I'm anything but cold), in areas with a layer of fat, my skin stays very cold. Get a couple of pounds of bacon cold and it takes a lot to warm them up.

I truly know the meaning of CBS.

Well ...and a resting heart rate of around 43....

I don't have to stop for long before my heart rate drops to ~45 bpm. It sure doesn't help keep warm in the hammock.

During a hospital stay, it's hilarious to have the nurses run in ever 15 minutes as I set off the HR monitor alarm. They eventually believe me about my resting HR and drop the alarm from 55 to 40.

[dkperdue]

I'm a hot sleeper with a constant temperature of 97.4 degrees, which makes me reptilian, I guess.

I am in that category as well. Middle of winter, wife has a sheet and two blankets - I will be under a sheet, if anything. Often as not I'll wake up in the night and take off the shirt as well.

98.6 ? That is heading towards a fever for me.

DKPerdue

[Mancat]

Metabolism/body type. Normally thinner/in-shape people have a higher metabolism=produce more heat. But there are so many variable to this that it can render this point and many others moot.