To wish people would stop saying “just put a jumper on”?

[Notcontent]

There have been sooo many thread over the years with people saying how no one really needs heating - how e.g. 16 degrees is positively sweltering - and if you feel the cold you should just put a jumper on and a bit of cold never hurt anyone…

This is complete rubbish and I think this myth needs to be debunked. It’s not helpful. Of course many people are being forced to have their heating off but that does not mean this is good for their physical or mental health.

I was prompted to start this thread as I was listening to a radio 4 science programme that tackled this topic head on. In summary:

• when we get really cold (e.g. a room at 10 degrees) our body has to work really hard to keep our core warm and this places great strain on our body - increased heart rate, blood pressure, decreased congnitive ability, etc;

• surprisingly, for a lot of people 23 degrees is the right temperature if you are just sitting around - this does not surprise me as if I am working from home, if I have my thermostat set to 19.5 degrees, I still have to wear ugg slippers and a big jumper;

• getting chilled does make you likely to get sick - this is because we are constantly being exposed to viruses, which we do fight off (the cold virus in particular) but when we get chilled our body’s immune response is severely impaired.

That is just exactly what I was going to say too. I can be toastie warm in bed, but my face is freezing and my nose is so cold its painful. If I put my face under the covers I either can't breathe, or I get a crick in my neck from bending my face forward. DH has suggested a ski mask with just 2 eye holes, but I'm not sure...

Probably draughty house rather than unduly cold outside, so heat is lost overnight.

I have had two incredibly cold nights’ sleep in my life - once in a monastery up a mountain in China (badly fitting windows, cold damp mist/low cloud descending), and once camping in a tent in Wales, with a very thin camping mattress so the cold came up through from the ground. Both times the temperature was well above 10C overnight but I was absolutely chilled to my bones and didn’t sleep a wink. But I’ve been in well-insulated mountain huts in Switzerland and Canada in -20C, and been toasty.

It has to be high summer before my cardigan comes off

I agree OP. Putting a jumper on only does so much, and doesn’t really keep me warm if I’m breathing in cold air and have cold air on my face and hands. If the air temperature is too cold for me I will feel cold regardless of what I’m wearing!

So many quotes about life expectancy about the past get bandied around and its inaccurate.

Average life expectancy was around 35 in tudor times because of the levels of infant mortality. Child birth was dangerous for mother and child.

If you survived infancy, you had a life expectancy of around 50/60

This is largely due to nutrition, sanitation and health care.

Don't forget the Romans. What did the Romans ever do for us? Hypocausts.

The bastards.

It's miserable and about 10 degrees where I am today. Had 45mins heating on before kids got up so it was warmer getting them ready for school.
WFH and dont want to heat the whole house all day, so heating off until 3.30 when kids get in. Thermostat set to 18 when heating is on for a couple of hours in the evening. When working I'm wearing multiple layers, oodie and either have on heated throw or a blast of a fan heater for 10 mins at a time to take the chill off. Worse thing is freezing hands trying to type!

My thermostat is currently reading 15.5 degrees, it's located in the coldest part of the house so the lounge is probably a degree warmer. I'm wearing socks, leggings, long sleeve t shirt and a hoodie with a blanket over my knees and I'm really warm. I don't tend to feel the cold which is good as I hate artificial heat so avoid putting the heating on for as long as possible. The bedroom window has been open on the latch all day so I'll take a hot water bottle to bed if I need to.

We're all different. I would suffocate in a house heated to 23 degrees.

Competitive underheating is the new competitive undereating on MN.

Absolutely, heating is on here in the evening but fortunately we can afford it so it's not an issue. We have a baby and a toddler, I'd never let them sleep in cold rooms.

I fully agree that constantly breathing in cold air can't be healthy, no matter how many jumpers you wear. I do wear bed socks and sometimes a long cardigan when I go to bed.

Are people really sitting in a T-shirt in 16 degrees? I am surprised.

I don't know how old you are OP but gas central heating wasn't a thing until I was in my teens. We had an open fire in the lounge and every other room was cold in winter, I remember running upstairs, throwing on my nightclothes and diving into bed. A hot water bottle made,a small area warm but yiu had to warm tge rest yourself. We had proper winters then, frosty, icy and snow, not like winters now and no double glazing. Yet, tar dar, we survived no mental ill health or anything! Whodathowtit?!

I think we have molly coddled ourselves.. don't get me wrong I don't like to be cold, but I haven't put the heating on yet this year, there have only been a couple of days when I thought about it.

Tonight cos it's been cold, I popped my towelling dressing gown on top of my quilt (havent yet switched to my 13 tog quilt, Im still on my 4tog quilt that I had to buy cos of the heatwave...! Anyways, within seconds, I'm now toasty warm and ready to sleep.

I have also made a note to buy a blanket, as I gave mine all away last year to a shelter.

Second this. We love our heated throws and bought them for family as gifts last year. Cheap, very warm, perfect for WFH - not so great for getting laundry dry!

23 degrees is very warm! I've never had my thermostat above 18 ever. Heating isn't currently on. I'm home in the afternoons and I am wearing a jumper or cardigan, that is fine currently with no heating.

Remember it's not the temperature where the thermostat is but where you are sitting, check you haven't got drafts etc bringing down the temperature.

In the sw of England it's still not cold

No.

I've got a t-shirt, jumper, jeggings, wooly socks and a blanket.

I'm warm

It's 15.7 degrees according to thermostat

(I'd use the blanket even if the heating was on)

I can't afford the heating on much,so it will mean wearing layers,clutching a hot water bottle and early nights. Just hoping for a mild winter.

@Notcontent I'm currently in a light cotton jumper at 17 degrees, I'm actually pretty warm - peri menopause!

Yes! This is what I don't understand, in the summer I'm pretty sure most people would be in summer clothes if it was 16-18 deg, but at this time of year everyone seems to be freezing in jumpers at the same temp.

I'm loving the slight chill in the air after that rotten heatwave in the summer 🥵

@Dibbydoos i am in my late 40s. But I am
not British and as a child lived in central/northern Europe for quite a few years, where there is a very long history of double glazing, efficient heating etc so I find it odd that British people live in such cold houses.

I wonder how the jumper on brigade coped in the heatwave. Was it a case of taking a jumper off but not turning the aircon or a fan on? It's really irritating and patronising for people to say it - some of us feel the cold, some feel the heat, some are in the middle.

Also how well insulated/damp proof a house is makes a phenomenal difference to how it feels. Draghty and damp is a viscous combination.

A lot of them died.

I find it odd that British people live in such cold houses

It's cos we're 'ard innit 😆

from cold?

It’s 20 degrees in our lounge, I’m in my pyjamas (t shirt top, long bottoms). Heating has not been on. I’m warm as toast! In fact I’m too hot.

Also, it depends on how much and the type, but you can definitely die of exposure.
someone was saying on another thread months ago that no babies died due living in a cold environment. Yes they can and have! Idiot comments!!! Seriously though.