The lack of insulation offered by air mattresses can make you feel cold in the middle of the night despite their high level of comfort. It is because air mattresses are frequently constructed from a thin layer of vinyl, plastic, or another material that absorbs cold from the surroundings and doesn’t distribute the heat your body produces during the night.
Suppose you’re one of the numerous individuals who wonder, “Why am I so cold resting on my air mattress?” you’re not by yourself. While lying on air mattresses at night, many people experience nighttime shivering. People frequently complain about air mattresses being drafty and making them feel cold. You can do occasional things to keep you warmer and more comfortable on your air mattress, but there isn’t a perfect mix.
For several reasons, a person could experience a cold when resting on an air mattress. In this article, we’ll briefly discuss a few main reasons why people experience cold on air mattresses.
Causes of feeling cold on an air mattress
During the night, as the room’s ambient temperature drops, the temperature inside an air bed cools. The reasons why an air mattress gets cold when you sleep on it include some of the following:
- Thickness
The air mattress is not as thick as a traditional hospital bed mattress, which is the first explanation. The person sleeping on it will feel colder because there is less material to retain heat. The thinness of the air mattresses makes them ineffective in retaining body heat. As a result, in addition to lacking adequate insulation, air mattresses also lack adequate thickness. It becomes somewhat more difficult to stay warm on an air mattress.
- The air mattress material doesn’t hold heat.
The air mattress’ inability to retain heat due to its lack of heat-retentive materials is the second factor that could cause someone to feel cold while sleeping on one. It implies that the mattresses cold air will leak out, making whoever is lying on it feel chilly. In contrast to typical LAL mattresses, air mattresses rarely, if ever, include foam. PVC, a type of plastic, and rubber make up most of its composition. It does a poor job of holding onto heat.
- Insulation
The air mattress is not insulated, which is the third factor. It implies that the mattress will experience coldness (a lack of heat) from the cold floor. Additionally, the side of the mattress where you lie will feel cold because there is no insulation. Because it’s not constructed from solid materials like foam or memory foam, air mattresses frequently provide less insolation than conventional mattresses.
People accustomed to sleeping on regular mattresses may experience a rise in nighttime body temperature. However, your body’s heat is insufficient to warm the air mattress. Your body generates heat while you sleep, which the mattress absorbs. This heat will dissipate faster from a person resting on an air mattress than from a conventional mattress. Many believe that the air in their mattresses keeps them warm, but your body heat does most of the work.
- Circulation of Air
The lack of air circulation inside the air mattress is the fourth factor that could cause someone to experience low temperatures when sleeping on one. It implies that the cold air will remain inside the mattress and cause a cold sensation for the person sleeping on it. Your body heat is the only source of heat that can warm the air inside the mattress.
Although your body heat tries to reheat the air inside the mattress, the rate at which it does so will almost certainly be insufficient given the rate at which the air will be cooling down due to the chilly climate outside. Therefore, the mattresses interior air will continue to be cold. And it makes sense that resting on an air mattress with chilly air would make you feel chilly.
Five tips for keeping warm on an air mattress
You’re attempting the heroic feat of using an air mattress as a bed. It need not be heroic to be laudable. Here are a few easy suggestions for you. They all function fine but work when you combine at least two or three.
- Use a mattress topper that isolates
Air mattress users can save their lives by using these items. They must be placed on top of the mattress to transform it into a functional bed. Even though it still does not resemble a true bed, it is close. You can use different air mattress toppers depending on your needs and available space.
- Lay down in a sleeping bag
Sleeping bags don’t work well on their own since you still feel like you’re on the floor. However, they are excellent for maintaining your body heat. Therefore you can resolve all of your issues by simply sleeping in a sleeping bag on top of an air mattress.
- Utilize heat from outside sources
Hot water bottles can be used anywhere and are an excellent method of treating the common cold, assuming you have access to water heaters.
- Wear more layers of clothing
It is a simple one. The harsh approach of keeping it icy implemented by the mattresses is rendered irrelevant if you insulate yourself with clothing. But there are problems with this solution. The problem is that it might not be nearly chilly outside to warrant keeping them on.
- Put sheets between the mattress and your back.
You can protect your body from the dangerously cold mattress by using sheets. The better, the thicker. The greatest remedy for the problem of frigid weather is a blanket if you have one. The primary problem with this technique is that it doesn’t make the mattress any more comfortable.
Final Thoughts
Although sleeping on an air mattress can feel like agony, using the advice in this article will become a relaxing experience. It won’t be as terrible, at the very least. If you’re hesitant, start with sheets because they’re widely accessible, and if sheets aren’t quite cutting it, try another approach.
For further information, look at how to change an air bed bladder. And when you’re prepared to store your air mattress, visit AvaCare Medical blogs to read more about air mattresses. For more information, please call us at 1-877-813-7799 or email us at info@avacaremedical.com.