QOL*: fleece sheets

This may seem like a small thing, but if you're looking for a way to raise the comfort level of your sleeping situation exponentially during the cold season, this is a win-win deal. Polarfleece or micro-fleece sheets. It's like sleeping in a pile of silk velvet. It also raised the R-value of our bedding to the point where we had to remove the duvet (down comforter).

We heat our little house with a wood stove. The fire usually goes out at some point in the night, so the ambient temperature drops a bit. We still don't need the comforter anymore. Fleece sheets, a plush fleece blanket, and a thin cotton coverlet (to keep the cat hairs & general grubbiness off of everything else). No electric blanket needed, and the average room temperature in our bedroom at night hovers between 60-65F.

Bonus: No need to break your budget to switch from cotton flannel or percale, either! You can pick up a complete set (queen fitted, flat, & pillowcases) at outlets like Ross or TJ Maxx for $20 (vs. $40+ on sale at the dept. store). That's what I did a week ago when I noticed that our cotton flannel sheets were so threadbare that they were developing large holes. I personally prefer the cool percale pillowcases under my head, and relegated the fleecy one to the pillow I put under my knees so my back doesn't hurt. Perfect.

These sheets are so cozy I don't want to get out of bed in the morning. OK, that's nothing new. More importantly, I'm actually going to bed earlier because I can't wait to crawl into that fluffy softness, and that's a real improvement for me.

Oh, the cats like it, too. Much kneading and puring goes on at bed time these days.

*QOL="quality of life". I just made up this abbreviation and I'm sticking to it.