How to keep warm in a sleeping bag whilst camping?

[Yeahyeahyeahnooooo]

I'm a very reluctant camper but the dc really want to go. Last time I was too cold to sleep and absolutely miserable - any tips?

Premier inn was my solution

Sleep in a single sleeping bag inside a double one. Wear a hat

I actually find a big quilt warmer than a sleeping bag - pyjamas tucked into socks and a hot water bottle put inn30 mins before bed!

Watch Fiona in the Wild. She puts a drinking bottle with hot water into her sleeping bag etc. she wild camps in Scotland in Winter.

Really decent 4 season sleeping bag, we use a tent carpet in the sleeping bit too. I think some people do a blanket under themselves as well. Also lots of warm clothes including bed socks jumper and hat. Unfortunately you will be sweltering come 6am.

Sleeping bag liner or a onesie ( mine is sweatshirt material) worn over PJs with 2 pairs of socks.
I love my camping onesie. Wouldn't be seen in it any other time though!

Silk sleeping bag liner, thermals for pajamas and socks.
Heated hand warmers can be handy, DH has some rechargeable ones.

Make a hot water bottle. I can never get warm in a tent.

You need as much under you as you do on top.
Never go to bed cold - make sure you've got warm clothes on before the evening gets chilly.
Hot water bottle or bottles good shout.

1. get a decent sleeping bag, I use a 4 season all year round
2. wear a hat and gloves. I pull the hat down over my face too
3. wear socks
4. charge phone inside sleeping bag before going to bed, it acts as a hot water bottle if you don’t have one
5. do not let DC bring any form of alarm clock that might go off at 5am <bitter experience >
6. enjoy!

I wear warm PJs, have a fleece blanket in the sleeping bag with me, have a hot water bottle, a blanket over the top, wear a hat and also add a jumper if the night looks like its a cooler one. Also, put a picnic blanket underneather my air bed as the cold rises.

Well, it’s been a long time, but:

good quality sleeping bags for the correct season - get one for spring, summer and autumn
sleeping bag liner
thick PJs
socks
a warm mat / mattress to put the sleeping bag on. Under no circumstances have your sleeping bag on the ground
wrap a blanket round the sleeping bag and pin the sides together with eg kilt pins

This has been my main issue with camping. We go with EHU and a heater so the tent stays warm. The family have 3 season mummy sleeping bags so they are toasty warm. I can't sleep with my legs tied together so have a straight sleeping bag but with cotton internal lining. I wear thin fleece pj's and take warm socks and hot water bottle or layer with a blanket if needed.

Sleep in a bobble hat.

warm mat under you, eg foam one plus an air one

tin foil survival blanket (under, over or both) - this is my solution for mountain hikes where extra bedding too heavy

fleece blanket INside your sleeping bag

more bedclothes not more clothes (saying from my grandpa who grew up in slum conditions and never had heating in his life!

Sleep in ski/thermal underwear. I always take my woolen ex army blanket.

Everything everyone else said, especially the hat and onesie advice, but just to reiterate @HoppityBun I find the biggest difference is made by what you sleep on. Foam mats- useless. The ground feels like it completely absorbs any shred of body heat you might have, and an inflatable mattress is just as bad, the air inside gets cold and sucks the heat right out of you. I found a self-inflating mat ok for 'minimal' camping, but maybe a camp cot/foldable bed type thing may be better? I haven't tried one, haven't camped for years, but I'd definitely research that before I went again!

Merino top and leggings, hot water bottle and a hat. Hot drink and a glass of port (or whisky if that's your thing) before bed.

It's usually the cold coming up from the ground that makes you cold, either sleep off the ground on a camp bed or a decent sleeping mat with an R rating. Not just an air bed either, Bestway do good ones

https://www.bestwaystore.co.uk/collections/camping-mats

During some extreme camping I put stones that had been heated by the camp fire at the bottom of my sleeping bag, worked really well and equivalent to a hot water bottle. Wrapped up in clothes and the warmth lasted all night.

Does she know there are inventions called hot water bottles already built for the job?

I used to camp a lot and loved it! My tips to keep warm are to buy the best thermarest type self inflating mattress you can, a decent sleeping bag, wear socks and most importantly a hat.

Absolute key thing - do not go to bed cold. Get changed into pyjamas while still warm and put outer layers back on top of that if sitting by fire. I use thermals as pjs and sleep on a blanket in a sleeping bag under a duvet and pop a hot water bottle in the sleeping bag before going to bed. And take a dog to sleep with

We use ordinary quilts not sleeping bags. Thick ones (or two) in winter and thinner ones in the summer.

If you do need to use a sleeping bag, use one that is rated for the temperatures you expect to get.

Good insulation underneath - I have a 10cm SIM (self inflating mat) that is really comfy and warm to sleep on. If it's quite chilly I will sleep inside my down mummy bag with it zipped up around my head, otherwise, I open it up and use it as a duvet.

Wow, thank you for all the tips! I am off to shop, whoever said camping is a cheap holiday was wrong