@sledgejoyce Don’t worry you’re in good company. I didn’t know what TOG rating meant until I had my baby and it was part of how they sell sleep blankets for little ones based on the room temperature it’s good to get the right “TOG” rating. Anyhow, TOG stands for Thermal Overall Grade and is a unit of measurement for insulation and warmth of sleepwear and bedding. Put simply, the lower the TOG rating the lighter the fabric. The higher the rating, the more padded and insulated it is for warmth.
So since we’re in SoCal we went with a smart wool type sleep blanket which is meant for all seasons even summer so the TOG rating was a 1.0 but works for temps 60-75 degrees. I hope this helps - other than seeing TOG rating on sleep sacks for children I haven’t seen it on any of our duvets in the USA…but maybe it’s there on the tag and I’ve never noticed.
We are probably crazy and because we usually house-sit while travelling in our van we always take our own duvets and pillows. HOs do sometimes raise eyebrows but comfort is so important.
I would have a root around in the linen cupboard and see if you can improvise something more suitable. Barring that ordering one from an online retailer? Good luck, there’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable at night.
I find the lack of top sheets in the UK a problem. In Australia there is always a top sheet in case the duvet’s too warm but the Brits don’t do that. Far more hygienic too.
Hello @Wildcolonialgirl Brit here and we grew up with no top sheets, just a duvet, however, the covers are removable and are washed weekly! I don’t want you to think Brits don’t wash their bedding
Now I am in the USA I am getting used to sheets and blankets. Although I have brought a duvet and am not sure my hubby is keen!
Of all the cultural differences associated with international travel I didn’t expect bedding to be so different from continent to continent .
In U.K. sheets and blankets were used by our grandparents/ great grandparents in times past . They were replaced by duvets starting in 1960s duvets when were introduced by Sir Terrance Conran and sold in his shop Habitat. He imported them from Sweden and advertised them as the” 10 second bed” because of the ease in which a bed can be made with a duvet rather than sheets and blankets . Since then they have been the most popular bedding for most people in U.K.
(I don’t know when the TOg rating was introduced)
If you visited a home with sheets and blankets in U.K. it would generally be considered as very old fashioned.
@Wildcolonialgirl This Aussie bought a cheap top sheet in the UK back in 2017 and I use it each year I’m there. Luckily I can leave it and other items with friends so I don’t have to include it in my packing. I’m soon to be reunited with it!!
@Wildcolonialgirl Agree, but the sheet moves down in the night and gets tangled in my feet (as I wiggle lots ) when it is under the duvet, plus I like the weight of more than a sheet and am considering a weighted blanket as well. My husband would be with you on just a top sheet most of the year!
I think it’s ‘horses for courses’ as they say and one of many cultural or individual differences/preferences.
Top sheet voter also, I carry a white, super kingsize everywhere, can double and use as top and bottom sheet so we never have bedding to wash, however my grown children would give a top sheet the down vote … “gets caught in my feet” is the lament.
For my husband and I who frequently debate over bedding arrangements. We were pleasantly surprised when we came to Europe and found that almost everywhere we stayed there were two duvets placed on the bed (one for each person). Makes so much more sense than how we do it in the USA where blankets, sheets and duvets are shared across the bed. We did find it a little odd however that most of the “queen” or “king” size beds were just two twin beds pushed together, sometimes in one frame and sometimes not. So if you’re the type of person that moves a lot in your sleep the downward slump in the middle of the bed is something to get used to.
Since retuning from our travels we have frequently discussed getting separate bedding similar to @Colins “bed malarky” but we’ve decided on form over function as neither of us like the “look.” So for now he gets a blanket and duvet and I get a top sheet and blast the fan
I am in a sitting in UK at the moment and the duvet they have is suitable for sleeping outdoors in Iceland in the middle of December :-). I have simply taken it out and I am using the cover as a sheet, with another cover on the side in case it gets a bit colder. I get generally hot at night, so this is suiting me fine. I would not be able to sleep with the big duvet, even though the window is open
