So tell me your secrets, how on earth do you get a good nights sleep when camping ?

[rookiemum]

We bought our tent a few weeks ago. V. excited meant to go away last time but cancelled as camp site flooded. Weather reports very mixed for this weekend and as we have a 15 mth DS decided to pitch tent in garden to try it.

Anyway DS slept like a baby right up to 1.48am when we decided to go inside because we couldn't sleep at all.

We have a double air bed and linked the two sleeping bags together. We found that the air bed lurched us both into the middle, and every time one person moved the other one did as well. Also we have camped in a two person tent before, this was a family tent with rooms and it was a lot colder than we were used to.

We have two separate air beds and are thinking about using these instead as might be better.

What arrangements do you find work best for you to sleep ?

Try this mattress - I can vouch for it! There are cheaper ones, but they're thinner - you need the 5cm thick one!

So does it stay inflated all night? As even the best airbeds (and we've bought many) still end up with the lighter partner being the only one who gets to sleep on any air!

which was fine until I put on weight!

Airbeds are awful - too hard and you roll off, too soft and you can feel the ground, and always cold (unless you're somewhere hot I spose).

I always wear socks at night and a jumper is good too, also agree with earplugs (wax ones) and wine (but not too much or you need the loo at 3am).

It's not an airbed as such, it's a foam mattress with a valve that you open to let the air in, then close once it's inflated: the 5cm one was fine for me to sleep on when pg ... and that's saying something - I don't do slim, svelte pregnancies!

Copious amounts of red wine . It's the only way I can sleep in a tent.

Are those mats easy to deflate and roll up? I'm thinking I might invest in a couple. Rather expensive though.

Look out for them at Lidl & Aldi, sb - they both have camping specials at least twice a year.

This thread says they were £10 each at Aldi last time - that would be for singles and prob not as thick as the expensive ones though.

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Thanks, I'll have a look in there.

to deflate them, you just open the valve again, then fold and roll them - forces the air out - I managed to do mine no problem - even when pg!

wildday have vango mats (relatively) cheap at the moment - 5mm double for £35. can't vouch for them as ours have only just arrived this morning but tried out dd's 3mm on the floor and it seems fine. we did have a coleman double chamber airbed so no seasickness problems but it got a puncture and buggered if we could find it to fix it. wouldn't get another cos it was so damned cold. i heard the self inflating mats are less likely to puncture than an airbed and the vango ones have a lifetime guarantee. if we hadn't wanted a double i would have gone with alpkit fat airics instead (although bit pricier) they get rave reviews everywhere.

Got 2 singles from ALDI, they are 5cm thick when inflated, and you can't feel the ground through them. Well worth it.

I am always freezing when camping and my head always gets cold. I like the idea of the mummy sleeping bags with a hood but don't they have really narrow bits by the feet? I hate that restricted feeling you get from sleeping bags. I usually take a duvet, pillows and a sheet and put a blanket between the sheet and the blow up mattress but still end up cold. I love the idea of the foam mattress, are they really comfortable enough ejt1764? Is it a bit like sleeping on a sun chair mattress? I think i might invest in one. The kids seem happy with their blow up singles and sleeping bags and never seem to get cold. I think are usually just exhausted.

Ear plugs and eyepatches are a must.

we have one of these - very comfy & no roll - together!!

lots and lots and lots of wine

We have camp beds and crash mats on top. I also put a folded rug on top of the crash mats.

It is vital that you insulate under as well as over you, or you will be cold

I hate air beds and find them too squishy and bouncy!

Wine also helps, but have a pee before you go to bed or the distended bladder will wake you up!

Ds (5) & dd (3) have their own campbeds and then we take their single duvets for them.

We have just bought a huge off cut of 2in thick dense foam. Have cut it to fix our bed pod which is about 2.4m square, as we have a 3pod 12 man tent. Only cost £25 for this offcut and it's now like sleeping on a proper mattress.

To transport it we roll it up and strap it to the roofrack. We get some funny looks when we turn up to a site with what looks like a roll of carpet on the roof!

beer when abraod

hae only camped once n own tent in this country - lake district - fucking scnery oer rated - miles to nearest pub - an emergency spliff as in order - got told off by security guard for giggling too loudly and upsetting other campers

Weed and earplugs.

Needless to say, I haven't been camping in yonks.

er, lots of beer and don't take your kids....

My problem with sleeping and camping isn't the bedding, it's the hoardes of feral camp children who roam every campsite I've ever been to until the early hours.

Since buying a decent tent and airbeds we have never had trouble sleeping and we use a double airbed, the fresh air and lots of walking see me off at night.

lol at weed and earplugs.