The Cause of Cold Feet in Bed
Blood Circulation
There isn’t just one cause of cold legs and feet in bed. Let’s start with blood circulation. When the temperature drops – something that often happens at night – your body reacts by directing warmth to the vital organs. To keep these organs warm, the body narrows small blood vessels, such as capillaries. This process is called vasoconstriction. The result? Ice-cold hands and feet instead of warm ones.
Hormonal Cycle
For women, hormones also play a major role in getting cold feet in bed – especially the hormone oestrogen. This hormone causes blood vessels in the hands and feet to narrow more quickly. As a result, the female body can retain more heat around the ovaries and uterus. These are vital organs, for example during pregnancy. It’s therefore not surprising that you may experience more or less cold feet at different moments in your cycle. Around ovulation and in the days leading up to it, oestrogen levels increase, which can make cold feet more noticeable.
Menopause
The menopause can also cause cold feet in bed. During this phase, oestrogen levels fluctuate, which can lead to hot flushes. You may suddenly feel very warm, seemingly out of nowhere. Afterwards, the body tries to cool down, for example by sweating. A cool breeze can then suddenly feel like mid-winter, and you may end up with very cold feet.