An air mattress is comfortable to sleep on but it provides little insulation, which means it may not be best for you if you live in a cold climate or you are camping during the cold months.
You can use a heated blanket, a thermal mattress topper or use an insulated air mattress, or an air mattress that is made with some heating. You can use a mattress raiser to raise the air mattress off the ground or place the air mattress on a raised platform, place a thick mat under it, a foam pad, or a sleeping bag.
A cold bed will make your sleeping uncomfortable and you need to ensure you maintain warm temperatures in your air bed to help sleep better. One disadvantage of an air mattress is that it’s made of a thin PVC sheet that tends to rapidly cool down during the night. It does not retain heat.
There are several ways to ensure your air mattress remains warm throughout the night for a good night’s sleep. This may include the following:
Table of Contents
1. Use Of Heated Blanket
A heated blanket will add much-needed warmth to the air mattress. The air mattress usually has cold air inside and any warmth produced by your body is absorbed by the mattress PVC and circulated inside.
Since your body does not produce enough heat to heat all the air inside the mattress, you will continue feeling cold as long as you sleep on the mattress. The body has negative heat loss.
The heated air blanket will compensate for the lost heat and will ensure you have a warm night’s comfortable sleep.
2. Use Of A Thermal Mattress Pad
These mattress pads are made of reflective materials that capture the heat produced by your body and reflect it towards you and prevent heat loss as you sleep.
The pads are usually lightweight and are made of polyester materials. The pad works by preventing the cold air from the air mattress from coming into contact with your body. It forms insulation between you and the PVC of the air mattress.
The thermal mattress pads come in different sizes ranging from twin to king size. The pad has a grip surface that makes it hold well to the PVC of the air mattress and prevents movement.
Thermal mattress pads can be used indoors and outdoors with great results.
3. Use Of A Heater
A heater will ensure the air around the air mattress is warm. This in turn will mean the air inside the mattress is warm. When the air inside the mattress is warm, it means the heat produced by your body does not all get absorbed by the air mattress.
There will be little heat loss and you will experience warmer nights. You should however make sure you do not put the heater near the air mattress as the heat from the heater may damage the PVC material of the air mattress.
Most heaters will work best in confined and enclosed areas and may not be ideal for outdoor camping.
There are portable heaters that can be used outside while camping. Ensure you have the right heater that will keep you warm at the night.
4. Use An Insulated Air Mattress
Some air mattresses come with an insulating quilt that ensures you do not lose your body heat to the air inside the mattress.
The insulation is a great way to ensure your nights when camping is warm without using any other form of heating.
The insulated air mattress maybe a little more expensive than the ordinary PVC mattress, but the extra cost is worth it.
The insulated air mattress does not need any extra power to operate and therefore is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
How Do You Lift The Air Mattress Off The Ground?
To ensure the air mattress does not get extremely cold, you need to put insulation between the air mattress and the ground. There are several ways to keep the air mattress from coming into contact directly with the cold ground. This includes:
1. Use Of A Mat
A thick mat or rug will help put insulation between the air mattress and the cold floor. The rag will prevent the warm air inside the mattress from losing its heat to the cold ground.
The mat does not need to be made of any special material but it needs to be thick enough to provide insulation. A thin rug may not be sufficient to prevent heat loss from the mattress.
2. Use A Mattress Raiser
An air mattress raiser helps to lift the air mattress from the ground and prevents direct contact with the ground.
When the mattress is raised, it will not be as cold as when it is touching the ground. You can use a metallic frame, a camping cot, or a box spring to raise the air mattress off the ground.
3. Using A Sleeping Bag
A sleeping bag is designed to prevent heat loss and keep you warm as you sleep at night. If you spread the sleeping bag on the ground and then the air mattress on top of it, it will give the much-needed insulation against the cold ground.
Sleeping bags come in different sizes and you need to get the right size that will spread wide and cover much of the air mattress.
4. Use of a foam pad
A foam pad is designed with heat-trapping valleys that ensure the heat is not lost to the ground. When you spread the foam pad and then the air mattress on top, you will be sure that it does not come into direct contact with the ground.
The foam pad is made of tough materials that will ensure the air mattress is protected from being pierced by shat twigs and rugged rocks thus ensuring the air mattress lasts longer.
Final Thoughts
An air mattress is a great way to catch some comfortable sleep away from the traditional bed. Through improved technology, the modern air beds are more comfortable, well insulated, and last longer than the previous generation of air beds. Though they may cost more, they have a higher weight carrying capacity, are more comfortable, and provide greater support.
