“Warm your feet or you won’t sleep!” – doctor explains how to keep feet warm during UK cold snap

It’s official – winter is here, and it’s absolutely freezing! The UK has been hit with a cold snap, with many cities experiencing snow, sleet and ice. What’s worse is the Met Office says these cold conditions are set to continue, with some parts of the country experiencing temperatures as low as -10°C.

Due to the serious drop in temperatures, many people are taking precautions by wrapping up warm and turning their heating on. But what about when you go to sleep? I for one have definitely been waking up in the night feeling the chill, and searches for ‘cold feet’ have risen in the past month from UK searchers, according to Google Trends.

For many people, having cold feet can drastically impact the quality of their sleep. To find out more, I spoke to Dr Gareth Nye, Biomedical Science lecturer at the University of Salford and Pretty You London to find out the scientific reason why we don’t sleep well with cold feet – and how we can solve the problem.

Why does cold feet affect your sleep?

To fall asleep, your body temperature has to naturally drop as it signals to your brain and body that it’s time to sleep. This is actually one of the many reasons why sleeping in a cold room is better for you.

But in a strange twist of science, your body can only cool down for sleep if your feet are warm. It turns out your body will try to hold onto heat instead of releasing it when your feet are cold which has the opposite effect of your body’s natural cooling process which is what you need to happen in order to fall asleep.

Dr Nye explains that “studies show warming your feet… can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.” He goes on to explain that “a 2018 study found people wearing socks fell asleep about 7.5 minutes quicker, slept 32 minutes longer, and woke up less often compared to those without socks.”

Sleeping in socks is quite a controversial topic, but there are actually many reasons why you should sleep with your socks on. According to Dr Nye, "when your feet warm up, the blood vessels in them widen. This helps move heat from your core to your extremities, which actually lowers your core body temperature, a key signal your body uses to start sleep”.

When your feet are cold, the body goes into alert mode so your blood vessels tighten to conserve heat for your vital organs. Cold feet essentially tricks your body into thinking you need to stay awake so you’ll find it harder to get to sleep.

To avoid this and to keep warm, it’s best to “warm your feet or you won’t sleep” by wearing socks, having a warm foot bath, or putting a heating pad in your bed by your feet. Dr Nye also recommends keeping your bedroom around 16–18°C so you’re cosy and comfortable.