While Traveling in India, I Learned This Brilliant Trick for Staying Cozy (Now I’ll Never Use Anything Else)

Last December, my children and I traveled through India on a family tour with a travel agency I’ve traveled with a number of times. I travel a lot — at least once a month — and sometimes, the kids come. I love these trips, because it gives my family plenty of opportunities to learn deeply about the countries we visit. One of the things I learned on my trip to India is how many people who call the country home stay warm throughout the night with a simple, inexpensive, and very effective method. It’s so easy, I started using it at home immediately — and now I won’t ever get through a cold night without it. 

December in Northern India is far warmer than in my hometown of Washington, D.C. But it’s still winter, and every night a chill sets in. On our trip my family stayed at several of India’s old, storied heritage hotels. During my first night in a heritage hotel, I heard a knock at my door as I was getting ready for bed. I hadn’t ordered room service, so I was unsure what to expect. I was surprised to find a hotel employee standing outside with three hot water bottles, one for each member of my family. He explained that we should put the hot water bottle in bed with us to stay warm throughout the night. 

I wasn’t sure how well a hot water bottle would work at staving off the cold, but I was willing to give it a try. I was astonished by how well it worked. 

I put my hot water bottle on my mattress, covered by my duvet, while I brushed my teeth. Then, I climbed into bed to go to sleep. I couldn’t believe how well the water bottle had warmed the bed. It almost felt as though my husband had stayed in the spot for an hour to ensure I had a warm place to lie down. Even better, I loved how well the hot water bottle kept me warm when I held it against my tummy as I drifted off to sleep. My children loved falling asleep with their hot water bottles, too.  

Now, while I may have learned about the trick in India, it’s not as though the hot water bottle trick is only used there. Bed warmers, as they were often called a long time ago (i.e., in the 16th century) were the first version of this and were used all around the world. Some early bed warmers used coal and ember from dying fires, while other versions were stoneware hot water bottles. The modern rubber hot water bottle was patented in the early 1900s in Croatia, for example. But I first tried the hack in India, so for me it will always be associated with my travels there. 

Other heritage hotels I stayed in during my trip also handed out hot water bottles every evening. It was a ritual I came to look forward to. In India, I became so accustomed to falling asleep with a hot water bottle that I picked one up before I left the country. 

Since returning home, I’ve been filling up my water bottle with hot water before I get in bed. It costs almost nothing and takes less than five minutes to set up every night, yet it feels luxurious and reminds me of the hotel stays we got to enjoy as a family.

Falling asleep with a hot water bottle in my bed on chilly nights helps me keep my heating bills low. Plus, I don’t need to worry about electric blankets or space heaters overheating while I am asleep. 

A quality water bottle costs under $10, and boiling water takes minutes. I use a gooseneck electric kettle I already owned to make it easy to pour hot water into my water bottle, but you can use this hack by boiling water on the stove in a regular teakettle, or in the microwave with a mug. Using a hot water bottle for warmth in bed is so easy and economical that I can’t believe I haven’t used one before. If you prefer a longer, slimmer hot water bottle, you can get one for under $20.

I’ve also used my hot water bottle to comfort my kids during sick days or snow days. During a recent snowstorm that kept my family indoors for days, I snuggled up on the sofa with my hot water bottle while watching movies, then passed the bottle off to my son when he came back from sledding. 

Once you try the hot water bottle trick for keeping warm, you may never go back to falling asleep in a cold bed again!