Trying to find a really good blanket solution

Hey folks

So I have been using a combination of a cotton duvet(with very little/no stuffing) with two wool blankets on top of me to sleep for a few years. It works well when the house is 70*F+. It works quite poorly when the house is 60*F. I also find I need to keep the blankets "together" or else I need to make up the bed often. I think subconsciously it restricts movements while I am sleeping.

Anyways I went camping one weekend this fall, we were in a tent and all I had was this 10*F Black Diamond sleeping bag. I got it in Nepal and its works great. I than decided to use it daily as my sleeping blanket. It is synthetic and not my favourite for long term use. However it does keep me warm and there is no more restricted movement. I can also throw the blanket off me when I am too hot and quickly put it back on in seconds. So it sparked my interest to find something more permie like.

I haven't researched options. I was hoping people could fill me in. The sleeping bag is puffy, and light weight.

Anyone have a really good sleeping blanket recommendation?

I would say a high-quality duck-down comforter with 100% organic cotton.
Super warm, Superlite, you'll like it.

I don't like the weight of blankets made of natural fiber cotton or wool. They are oppressively heavy, and interrupt my sleep.

So, I shamelessly use oversize synthetic-fill quilts or fleece blankets in my bedroom. I wrap up in a cocoon, the natural gas furnace is turned way down, and I sleep very well. Some of those quilts have been going strong for 20 years and I doubt I will ever wear them out.

When car camping, I use synthetics too. I still have the sleeping bags I carried while backpacking 25 years ago. They don't have the same temperature rating as new, but they work together as a system and I'm good to -15C at least. They will never really wear out, though on occasion some go to organizations helping street people.

When I look at the longevity of my equipment vs. the wanton, thoughtless mountains of waste at my local transfer station, I frankly don't feel one tiny bit guilty about my use of synthetics. My 2c.

Wool blankets can be quite heavy, but I was given a wool duvet and for many years it worked quite well. At this point I'm suspicious that the wool has felted inside from use, as it certainly doesn't seem to be working as well as it used to.

However, I will shamelessly plug the concept of a bed warmer. Yes, it's electric and artificial, but we turn it on about 45 minutes before bedtime so the bed is warm when I get in, and it automatically turns itself off (its got an internal 1 hour timer). If I feel good and warm, I can turn it off without messing up the programming. If I wake up in the middle of the night and feel cold, I can put it on for another hour with the option of turning it off early if I get too hot. The old fashioned version is a pair of hot water bottles, but the one I was given sprang a leak. Even older fashioned is putting a hot rock in your bed, but they tend to be hard to regulate, not to mention, just plain "hard". Neither the hot water bottles, nor the rock heat the bed evenly.

You could consider getting a dog for this purpose, but they aren't cheap and require a fair bit of upkeep!

Down can be used as both a mattress topper, and a blanket, and if you don't react to feathers, they're largely a renewable resource. I recommend you look for quality - we got a cheap feather pillow for my son and the ticking was so crappy, I had to sew it a new cover as the feathers migrated all over the house. I bought proper ticking fabric, washed and pre-shrank it to get it even tighter, and the leakage problem was solved.

Not to get toooo... personal, but what you wear to bed can also make a difference. I swear by "night shirts" long enough that my legs are covered if I curl up a little. It traps the warm air all around me. My Mom used to make them for Dad, since today they're mostly a woman's item with a tendency towards flowers and frills! Cotton flannel is the material I use, but it can be hard to find quality flannel fabric these days also. I picked up what used to be called a "flannel blanket" in decent shape at a thrift shop, but if you look on the web, I'd try that term.

We have an off-grid cabin that does have propane heat.

We use sleeping bags for blankets.  Our sleeping bags are a cotton duck-like material and I assume poly filled.  They work well for the times we are there.

Some sleeping bags can be unzipped so they lay flat.

There might even be some pretty ones that would look nicer than the camping ones, though I don't know.

Jay said, "You could consider getting a dog for this purpose, but they aren't cheap and require a fair bit of upkeep!

Mine is like a heating pad on high.

thomas rubino wrote:I would say a high-quality duck-down comforter with 100% organic cotton.
Super warm, Superlite, you'll like it.

I like the idea. I wonder -- how much fuss is involved in keeping it clean?

I'm living in quebec in a small cabin offgrid. most of the time i don't burn wood during night, so it often go below 50F. I've even seen below 40 during snowstorm. But under my down duvet i didn't sense it! Of course it is too hot for most of the year, so i have a feather duvet too, and i love them and recommend them.

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/fjaellhavre-duvet-extra-warm-20458347/

Down comforters are awesome.  They are light and warm.  Problem for me is keeping them clean.  My big and sometimes smelly dog(s) sleep with me.  Blankets and sheets get pretty dirty pretty quickly.  My not at all permie solution is currently 3 cheap fleece blankets inside a cotton comforter cover, inside a cotton comforter cover.  You can easily put 4 or 5 or 6 or ... fleece blankets in one cover.  Fleece blankets can be found on sale for $3 or $4 each if you keep a lookout.  Fleece is light so it doesn't feel suffocating and the comforter covers keep them together nicely.  It's easy to pull off the outside cover leaving the inside comforter cover and blankets in one piece, so you can keep them all clean without tearing the whole assembly apart.  Temperature control is easy.  Just uncover different amounts of your body.  If your dog allows it.  Mine tends to keep everything in one place when he is sleeping.  He doesn't really like to be moved :)  I sometimes start out with two dogs in bed, but my LGD gets too warm very quickly and hops out of bed.  She prefers to stay outside on all but the coldest, as in -20F or colder, nights.  She probably prefers it then too, but I worry about her and bring her in.

Forgot to mention, if anyone wants to try this, the easiest way to put it together is to put your blankets in a pile with a few inches hanging off the end of the bed.  Turn your comforter cover inside out, reach into it and grab the ends of the blankets hanging off the bed.  It's easiest if you have one person to pull the comforter cover back to right-side-out around the blankets while the other hangs onto them, but you can do it with one person if you need to.  It's just slower.  You can hold onto one corner of the blankets through the cover, and then turn it back to right-side-out a little at a time on each side.  I'm not sure if that explanation makes sense, but it's easy enough if you try it.  

Trace Oswald wrote:  It's easiest if you have one person to pull the comforter cover back to right-side-out around the blankets while the other hangs onto them, but you can do it with one person if you need to.  

I sewed a loop into several spots in the top seam allowance of my cover, and added strings to the  tops of the comforter in matching spots. I tie the two together, then get the a hold of the top from the outside and just shake while standing high enough up that gravity does most of the work. (I'm too short to do this just standing on the floor - too much comforter in a puddle at the bottom!)

I absolutely try to have enough layers that the wool comforter itself doesn't get dirty. An extra layer as Trace does is worth it. Quality down is worth protecting! Consider it a form of respect to whatever bird it came from - it's not all harvested either humanely or sustainably. Some is, though, so it's another place where doing one's research is a good thing.

I have a merino wool blanket on top of the mattress (made of rubber chunks) a cotton sheet then another sheet I lay over myself with a cotton covered down blanket and one thin cotton sheet-like-blanket on top of that (mainly to keep the little things my dog tracks to my bed), and I can sleep with no issues even though my thermostat is set at 62 during the evenings.

I was discussing the "cold bedroom" thing with Hubby and he mentioned that he recently tripped over a video about the amount of heat the average human gives off, and the fellow had super-insulated his bedroom to the point that "one human's heat" kept it at a reasonable temperature.

From there, the old concept of "bed drapes" came to mind, particularly if made out of highly insulative material. However, it's important to make sure the bed is "aired" in the morning, or the build up of condensation/dampness in the blankets and mattress may be an issue. This partly depends on one's ecosystem, but in my damp, ocean area, I pull all the blankets to the foot of the bed in the morning, and point the dehumidifier at the bed and run it for an hour.

Team down comforter with a washable cover!!!

I am the Princess and the Pea. I cannot sleep with too heavy a cover, I prefer a cool room, and a cold body causes me a lot of pain, so the fluffy comforter with a cover is the perfect solution; keeps me warm without too much weight, I can wash the cover as needed, and if I get hot and can stick a foot out and regulate my temp. All the things you liked about the sleeping bag. You can get them in a variety of fills and weights , including all season, so you can choose one appropriate for your climate. You can also use large safety pins to secure it into the cover so that making the bed or moving things around is really simple. Covers can be flannel in colder season for extra warmth, lighter fabric in summer, and are easy to DIY with two sheets and 3 seams.

Down is also washable, although it should be minimal. Hanging it in the sun on a bright day can help refresh it too. Make sure it's really dry after any cleaning and before storing and it should last a really long time!

great discussion! We have a wool filled duvet (comforter) and like someone above, I find it too heavy, it's what we have though, so will keep it for a few more years. It's quite low tog-rated (6-7?) so not warm enough in the winter. I found some amazing angora goat hair blankets, one English, one South American, both beautiful jewel colours, soft and very lightweight which I add to the duvet in the winter. When I go to bed, I wrap up in a hooded dressing gown with a hot water bottle and read till the bed's warm enough to go to sleep. I usually throw off the blankets in the night. Our bedroom is unheated but we live in coastal North West England so temp rarely drops below -2 C outside

I mainly use synthetic comforters, purchased very inexpensively second hand in thrift stores.  That plastic is already produced and in the world and not going away, so I think it's better to make use of it than have it go to landfill. I prefer lightweight ones I can layer, one in summer, two for spring and autumn, three in winter. Cotton flannelette covers are a nice cosy addition in winter. I got mine pre-used on ebay, and have plain woven cotton covers for summer. I would love to get linen covers for summer, but even second hand the prices are way too high.

If you want to put your wool blankets in good use, try layering them underneath the bed sheet for extra warm below.

Comforter and sleeping bag provide more insulation than wool or fleece blankets alone partly due to the very airtight cover. If you put the material in front of your mouth and blow then feel the warm air with your hand, you'd be able to tell how much wind blocking you get. Comforter usually comes in cover made with microfiber fabric with very tight weave for this reason (also being cheap and light weight). I tend to find it not wicking moisture well and uncomfortable and end up making a cotton cover for the comforter.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

thomas rubino wrote:I would say a high-quality duck-down comforter with 100% organic cotton.
Super warm, Superlite, you'll like it.

I like the idea. I wonder -- how much fuss is involved in keeping it clean?

You can get a cover for them which totally covers it and easily comes off to wash.  That way the down comforter stays clean which is good because it is an ordeal to wash and dry them.  

Some sound options in this subject.  After my parents died, I found two Hudson's Bay four point blankets in a cedar chest and use them still.  They do not strike me as heavy, but they do keep me warm as toast when I need it.  I am not sure if they even make these now.  One for the bed, one for the back of the couch.

We also have a wool filled duvet (comforter) which we use with a cotton cover. It does not have a tog value as it is "self regulating" which means it is not too hot in summer but warm in winter. Don't believe it. I find it too hot in summer and sometimes too hot in winter in our unheated bedroom. What I have noticed is that my pyjama tops are not long enough so I sometimes feel a draught on my back particularly if Mr Ara has his arms out of the bed and is clamping the duvet down hard. My solution will be to make myself some longer tops when I find my sewing machine and fabric stash. We have lived here a month, you would have thought I'd have found them by now. The duvet will have to stay for now even though some of the filling is clumped up and it looks like the cat is sleeping underneath it. Eventualy I will take it apart and make something else useful with the component parts. (The duvet, not the cat.)

Is anyone else a fan of hiking quilts? I was converted years ago and can never use a regular sleeping bag again.
https://enlightenedequipment.com/
Depending on your point of view, it's either a quilt with a foot pocket or a sleeping bag sans back and hood. They unzip into a full size quilt or can be strapped and cinched up the back to eliminate drafts.

Daniel Giddings wrote:Is anyone else a fan of hiking quilts? I was converted years ago and can never use a regular sleeping bag again.

Interesting. I guess I have always used my sleeping bags in a flexible configuration, not just a mummy bag, so it's not a revolutionary concept for me.

And while I'm all for quality goods, the price of the items in your link is frankly eye-watering. Personally, I think I can solve the problem for a fraction of the cost. But then I'm a cheapskate . My 2c.

Order of layers can make a big difference. A wicking layer like linen next to your skin keeps you from getting clammy, but it doesn't do much for warmth. A nice lofty layer like down or particularly fluffy wool/camelid creates lots of space to trap air inside for insulation... but it doesn't actually trap the air, it just creates a space for it. The air can still flow in and out of those spaces to chill you. A lightweight wicking tight-weave like silk taffeta on top traps the air inside the insulation layer so it keeps you warm.

If you have a heavy layer on top, it squishes the insulation layer thinner so it won't work as well. If your windbreak layer is next to your skin, there's no space between you and it to trap any air in.

Down is a better insulator than wool, but also more vulnerable to squishing by heavier top layers. (If you have both wool and down layers, put the down on top of the wool.) Hollow-core camelid fibers like alpaca are warmer than wool. Wool, however, is the only one that still works when wet. (This shouldn't usually be a problem indoors, but if you have a particularly drafty house in an area with dense fog it might matter. Or if you are really prone to night sweats.) Cotton is generally pretty bad for warmth; it absorbs moisture rather than wicking, and it's one of the heaviest fibers per unit volume. If you don't sweat much, though, cotton flannel can be pretty nice because the fuzziness helps stop cold drafts from sneaking in around where your head sticks out from under the blankets.

That's all I have for keeping the top side of you warm. Modern mattresses usually do a pretty good job of keeping the bottom side warm, but are not necessarily the most permie solution. When looking at alternatives, bear in mind that your own weight can easily squish the air out from the insulation layer underneath you, and that cold drafts underneath you are just as bad as cold drafts on top.

Maybe a solid box bed to stop drafts, filled with a down mattress for insulation. With a rope bed across the top to support your weight so that you don't squish the down.

I have a spring mattress
- topped with a 2 inch wool mattress.
- A thick down blanket.
- Woollen pyjama.
- Woollen socks.
- Hot water bottles covered in wool so they stay warm till morning..

The night temperature can drop to 65'F if I have not loaded the oven full of firewood before going to bed. But I sleep really well!

Mercy Pergande wrote:Team down comforter with a washable cover!!!

Me too!

I've even taken it one step further. I live in a temperate climate (14-86 Fahrenheit range) so I have 2 duvets. One very thin for summer and one that's thicker for winter.
Then I have a single sheet, regular cotton -, linnen - and flannel duvet covers and a woolen blanket.
That way I can mix and match depending on the temperature.

I can't sleep unless I have some type of cover so a single sheet for very varm nights as a it gets colder I change to a thin duvet first with a cotton -, then to a linnen -, then to a flannel cover. Repeat but topped with the wollen blanket and repeat once more but with the thick duvet.

I change the covers every 10-14 days. If you leave it any longer your sweat clogs up the fabric and it becomes less comfortable because the fabric isn't as good at wicking your sweat.

Same goes for your bed. The recommendation is a new bed every 10 years. You can prolong your beds lifespan by having it cleaned. Some carpet cleaning machines comes with an attachment for furniture and you can sometimes rent them so you can do it yourself.

It's important to remember that you spend about a third of your life in bed so be kind to your body.

On a sidenote: what's the deal with tying the duvet to the inside of the duvet cover?
Don't worry. Unless you leave it on for a month or more its going to stay in place. However the point of them being removable is to change them regularly.

Karen Herløv Horte wrote:On a sidenote: what's the deal with tying the duvet to the inside of the duvet cover?
Don't worry. Unless you leave it on for a month or more its going to stay in place. However the point of them being removable is to change them regularly.

I'm relatively short and trying to get a Queen-sized wool comforter inside a moderately heavy weight fabric cover. By tying the comforter in, I can stand on the bed and just shake and the cover will more or less cover the comforter with only a few adjustments needed to align the zipper.

Jay Angler wrote: By tying the comforter in, I can stand on the bed and just shake and the cover will more or less cover the comforter

Maybe we start different. When you take the cover out of the closet is it inside or right side out?

Mine is right side out. I lay the cover on the end of the bed with the opening towards me. Then I stick my arms inside the cover and shimmy them up into the top corners to pull the two sides of the cover apart. Then I take first the one top corner of the duvet a put it up inside the cover so it sits within the top corner of the cover on and then the other. Then I pull my arms out and grab the two top corners of the cover and duvet and lift and shake.
I lay it back down on the bed and put the two bottom duvet corners inside the cover. Close the snaps. Then grab the two bottom corners of the duvet and cover and lift and shake to make sure the sides of the duvet is all the way out to the sides inside the cover.

The last step is only necessary because I have a 95 inch (240cm) wide duvet. With a regular 55 inch (140cm) you can skip it.

My covers are sewn shut about a foot in from both sides so the gap is smaller and it's closed with snaps. It used to be ties that was the norm but now snaps are more common.

I'm Danish but my German friend's has zippers to close the covers.

I find it fascinating how people do every day tasks around the world and how different the same task can be so I hope you don't find my question too ridiculous because I'm genuinely curious to finally solve something that baffles me.
I view it as a wierd and unnecessary step but maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick.

Down comforter with a cotton cover over it- have three kids and I have had to wash my cover 3X this week due to fevers and night sweats. Easy to change the cover and honestly not too bad to just wash in general.

I personally like the weight of a fairly heavy quilts, but some people don't.  

I would say don't overlook the value of the sheets, which really trap a lot of heat close to your body.  A flannel sheet thickness liner in a sleeping bad makes a big difference in warmth (an extra 10 or 15 degrees lower).

Second idea, fill a 2 liter soda bottle with very warm water and throw it down by your feet.  If you are really chilled, another by your belly or thighs.  It'll still be warmer than you in the morning.  (NOTE!!! DON'T USE BOILING WATER.  IF IT'S TOO HOT, THE PLASTIC SOFTENS AND LID COMES OFF.  ask me how I know.)

As noted above, the sheets and blankets need to hang over the side of the bed some to keep the cold from creeping in at the edges.  I like oversized for that reason.

sleeping alone isn't as warm, although you need to be able to keep your partner from stealing your covers.

Wool works best if it's damp, but not against the skin, for comfort.  If you plan to were socks to bed, make sure to change them just before bed because the ones you've been wearing all day are a little damp and will make your feet cold.  Long johns of some sort (polypropylene, while not quite wool grade, are cheaper and more easily available and will warm even if a little damp. cotton won't.

This is such an interesting thread, partly because posters from all different climates are posting.

One of the weird things about living in an extremely moderate climate is that it's super cold inside in the winter, and I got completely used to it. In the USA in Appalachian Virginia where I used to live it got much colder so we had the heat on all the time from probably November to February, or maybe longer, I never touched it. But here I don't really use the heat much at all in my bedroom, only when it gets near 0 C.

So that means for example last night and tonight it's probably going to get down to about... 10 C or 50 F. That's totally comfortable for me now. I'm quite happy to sleep in my Japanese futon on the tatami floor with a feather stuffed cotton duvet and a microfiber blanket and no heat. When it does get colder I tend to put 1 microfiber blanket under me, and 1 microfiber blanket over me and then the duvet on top. I'm not super happy about the microfiber for a few reasons... mostly it's synthetic and doesn't breathe well. But I received them... so I put them to use, and they are very warm.

We also have a bigger down stuffed duvet that is too hot for me except in the coldest of winter here, my wife loves it. I happily sleep alone!

I also sleep in progressively thicker pajamas as it gets colder. Also socks.

I don't think I used the heater to sleep more than once last winter.

Susan Boyce wrote:I have a merino wool blanket on top of the mattress (made of rubber chunks) a cotton sheet then another sheet I lay over myself with a cotton covered down blanket and one thin cotton sheet-like-blanket on top of that (mainly to keep the little things my dog tracks to my bed), and I can sleep with no issues even though my thermostat is set at 62 during the evenings.

Susan, can you tell us more about your mattress made of rubber chunks?  Always on the lookout for DIY mattress ideas!  

We have a progression of sheets, duvets, and duvet covers to correspond to the seasons. Sheets and duvet covers cycle through the seasons from linen (IKEA has the least expensive linen) to cotton flannel. Extra layers: wool-filled duvet, thick Peruvian alpaca blanket (purchased in 1977!). The real trick for me is to heat up my feet before going to bed in the shower or a foot bath. And to warm my side of the bed with one or more heating bags. My husband is furnace man. He needs none of this. We both like to sleep in a cold room but my side needs a heat boost. My main heating bag has about 3 lb of raw rice (the cheapest white rice available) sewn into an old pillowcase. I sewed a removable and washable cover out of scrap flannel. I heat this in the microwave for 4 min. It radiates heat all night. In the day, I use it on my lap when I sit at my computer. When I’m not typing, I rest my hands there too and they stay thawed out. I have made these rice bags of different sizes and shapes for different purposes. I’ve filled old wool socks and these work wonderfully draped around my neck. The rice in the bag lasts more than one season. When it gets too broken down it can be cooked up for the hens or composted.

Rachel Royce wrote:My main heating bag has about 3 lb of raw rice (the cheapest white rice available) sewn into an old pillowcase. I sewed a removable and washable cover out of scrap flannel. I heat this in the microwave for 4 min. It radiates heat all night.... I have made these rice bags of different sizes and shapes for different purposes. I’ve filled old wool socks and these work wonderfully draped around my neck....

Just be careful with the hot rice bags on extremities while sleeping:  I used to use rice bags to keep my feet warm in a 50F bedroom, but realized that what I thought was "athletes foot" red, irritated and itchy places on my feet, were in fact chillblains, caused by putting cold feet next to a very warm rice bag.  Now I just use them for pre-heat, and remove them, as I am still tempted to put my feet on their delicious toastiness if they stay in the bed.  BTW, the best "cure" I've found for chillblains (and believe me, I tried near everything) is Caladryl.  Stopped the itching immediately and calmed down the inflammation by the next morning.

Loving this advice from folks!

I live in a tiny little cabin shack.  It is well insulated, aside from a few draft areas I have yet to fix.
I don't have any electricity there, nor a woodstove within the cabin. However, I DO have a crummy little sauna I built attached to it that I can vent into my sleeping room if I feel desperately cold, or need to DRY out the shack from too much of our rainy cold Western Oregon winters (my books suffer if I don't).

In the winter, right now, what I have for sleeping situation is flannel sheets, then (2) 5lb. wool blankets, then a 15lb. weighted blanket, then fluffier comforter type blankets on top.
I very much enjoy having 30lbs. of blankets holding me down (it helps me not toss and turn as much) and I stay warm enough.  Also I wear thermals to bed.
If it gets very very cold I will break out the plush sleeping bag, and/or start the sauna.

As to the overhot ricebags... I used to take hot mason jars in wool socks to bed, until I realized that i was getting burned from them in the night. haha.

Stay warm you good people!

We only run the stove at night if the temperature is going to be less than 6C - about 42F.  

In summer we sleep with one light cotton duvet cover.  As it gets colder we add another one, and then a third, much heavier one.  When it gets colder still we put a lightweight down duvet in one cover, take off the other two and then add them one at a time when needed.  Any colder than that and it's time for a fire.

That said, we also have a bamboo duvet inner that's lighter still than our main down duvet and would be just about as warm.

Brushtail possums are invasive here and have fur that equals artic fox for insulation value.   I've got hopes of one day making our own duvet inner stuffed with possum fur - warm, super light, and good for our native habitat.

Katie Dee wrote: chillblains, caused by putting cold feet next to a very warm rice bag.  

Thanks for the reminder. Make sure that the rice bag is not heated to a dangerous level. Although I use a microwave that takes 4 min to heat the perfect level for the amount of rice that I have in my biggest bag, the amount of time would have to be adjusted downwards for a smaller volume of rice. Also, it is probably possible to heat the bag of rice on or near a woodstove if it is put in an appropriate container and turned frequently until warmed.  BTW, chilblains, a painful, itching swelling on the skin, typically on a hand or foot, is caused by poor circulation in the skin when exposed to cold.

Well... My thoughts are these:
If I'm going to spend some time sleeping (I don't sleep much and it's normal, but like to wrap myself on something light and cozy) ,  I might just as well invest in something good. I bought 2 king size goose down duvets (king size because "My Ugly Half" kept hogging it all with smaller size. Since then, he sometimes gets mad because he can't get out of it LOL) . One from Amish people, the other from Sears eons ago. Both over 20 years old.
I wash them twice a year, dry in a dryer, and hang outside (pillows too) once every 2 weeks consistently.
Once a year, I'll drag the mattresses onto a deck on a sunny day.

There are just few things in life where one should not skimp on comfort. I hate cold
P.S.
Had wool blankets, sheep duvets and mattress covers, pillows etc. All ended up taking too much time to care for, many just bunched up or wouldn't stay put. No thanks
P.S. 2
I miss my waterbed. Cool in Summer, always warm in Winter.

I used to have a down duvet until my allergies (mostly dust!) became too bad.

Luckily for me, my mother worked at an eco-friendly place for a while and they had a (VERY expensive) silk duvet that is better for having no/way fewer dust mites.  Further to this, I also have a mite-proof cover which acts as a protective cover as well. THEN the cotton duvet cover.  If it's really cold out (-10C/-20C), then I'll put a wool blanket between my sheet and my duvet.  I keep the house at 16C at night. [I like a good weight on top of me!]

I'm also a big fan of the hot water bottle at your feet for 10ish minutes before bed.

Flannel sheets, cotton blanket, and down comforter for us. The down is so light it barely makes a difference in weight, unlike adding a fleece blanket. A thinner down comforter is nice in the summertime, it doesn't get as hot as a fleece blanket

I also moderate my clothing worn to bed, usually pajama bottoms and a tee shirt, long sleeves and/or a hat if it's cold, then socks if it's really cold! (though usually I find I've kicked them off overnight).

Rachel Royce wrote:

Katie Dee wrote: chillblains, caused by putting cold feet next to a very warm rice bag.  

BTW, chilblains, a painful, itching swelling on the skin, typically on a hand or foot, is caused by poor circulation in the skin when exposed to cold.

My doctor here in Colorado explained that pernio/chillblains is caused when capillaries constricted by cold cannot open suddenly in response to heat, and the excess blood pressure in the capillaries on the cardiac side of the constriction drives blood serum into the interstitial space because of the capillary narrowing, causing blisters and inflammation.  Hence, the well-known recommendation to thaw frozen digits and limbs by immersion in cold water, not hot water.

Anyway, the bottom line is -- don't put really cold feet against a hot rice bag, whatever the mechanism!

Down! Goose down if possible. Nice and thick if you like a cold bedroom. Washable cover of course (these days I have stopped using a cover, but no kids, no pets, no more night sweats). Never could deal with karostep quilt stitching, all the down ends up in the corners and the comforter needs shaking too often. Box stitching works for me, though it doesn't fluff up as much at its best. I don't experience it as having cold spots where the seams are.
My room at night is usually in the 50's or low 60's & a bit breezy if possible. I hate sleeping in a warm room.
Those rice things for the microwave are great even if only for feet (I made mine out of a tube sock, not a pillowcase, so it's smaller). I almost never use it, as the microwave is downstairs & my bedroom is upstairs, & I take a hot bath before bed.
I've never been warm enough in polyfill. Enough layers of wool does tend to be heavy, and if I go to bed chilled I can't warm it up. And these days wool seems more expensive than down.
Never had any trouble warming up a down comforter, even if I start out chilled.
I have a wonderful waffle-weave woolen blanket that is very light and flexible and nicely warm, but they don't seem to be made any more. I even put it over my down comforter, it doesn't seem to squish the down too much, and is easily pushed aside. It when I'm too hot. It stays in place on top of the other covers much better than a stiff, thick, flat woven blanket. I've been trying to buy more for my family but I can't find them, even from the mill it was made at.
There's a fake fleece thing available on etsy from eastern europe somewhere. Real wool, but not on a real sheepskin. It's seriously warm but I suspect the backing is plastic. And it sheds a lot of puffs of wool fluff.
I can't wear clothes to bed, I get all tangled, I'm just not used to it any more, but I sometimes think I ought to learn, just in case there's an earthquake, so I don't run out into the street in the altogether.