Drinking in winter: why it is harder and what helps

In summer, thirst reminds you to drink all by itself. In winter it is different: it is cold outside, the heating is on inside, and the water bottle often stays half full in your rucksack. Drinking in winter therefore needs a little more attention. In this guide you will learn why we often drink less in the cold season, which warm drinks are a good choice and which simple routines help you get through the day – at home, in the office and on the go.

Contents10

1. Why we drink less in winter
2. Heating air and cold: what winter brings
3. Warm drinks: the best companions for drinking in winter
4. Routines that help with drinking in winter
5. Drinking warm on the go: the thermos bottle
6. Out in the cold: walks, bike rides, winter outings
7. Drinking in winter around the sauna
8. Common mistakes when drinking in winter
9. Conclusion
10. Frequently asked questions

Why we drink less in winter

Many people notice it themselves: in winter you often drink less than in summer. There are a few typical reasons for this.

• Less sense of thirst: When it is cold, you sweat less visibly, and the feeling that you need to drink something comes later.
• Cold drinks are unappealing: A bottle of cold water is not very tempting on a grey December day.
• Fewer opportunities: In summer you sit outside; in winter you rush from appointment to appointment or stay indoors.
• Drinking is inconvenient: With gloves, scarf and a thick jacket, you reach for your bottle less often when out and about.

Nevertheless, the body needs fluid regularly in the cold season too. A fixed system helps so that you do not only notice in the evening that you have hardly drunk anything.

Heating air and cold: what winter brings

In winter you constantly switch between cold outdoor air and warm, heated rooms. Cold air can hold little moisture, and when it is heated indoors, the room air is often very dry. Many people notice this in dry lips, dry skin or a scratchy feeling in the throat. Drinking regularly is therefore a good everyday companion in winter too.

Fluid is also used up outdoors: when walking, cycling or doing winter sports, you breathe in cold, dry air and breathe out moist air – you can see it in your breath. If you move a lot, you also sweat more under warm clothing than you might think.

How much you personally should drink depends on age, weight, activity and health. If you have health questions, for example about your heart or kidneys, please clarify your fluid intake with a doctor.

Warm drinks: the best companions for drinking in winter

The simplest trick for drinking in winter: make your drink warm. Warm drinks are much more appealing than cold water in the cold season, and you drink them more slowly and consciously. These classics have proven themselves:

Drink	Why it is good in winter	Tip
Hot water	simple, sugar-free, quick to make	liven it up with a slice of lemon or orange
Herbal tea	wide choice, caffeine-free	brew with water at a rolling boil
Fruit tea	fruity, still tasty once it has cooled	drink unsweetened or sweeten sparingly
Rooibos	mild, hardly bitter, caffeine-free	well suited to the thermos bottle
Ginger with hot water	spicy, hot flavour	let fresh slices steep, then strain
Cocoa, punch	as a treat in between	because of the sugar, better seen as an exception

Unsweetened or lightly sweetened drinks are ideal. Juices, cocoa and punch taste especially good in winter but contain a lot of sugar – they belong more in the treat category than in your daily basic intake.

Routines that help with drinking in winter

Instead of constantly reminding yourself, it helps to link drinking to fixed moments in the day:

1. In the morning: A large glass of warm water or tea before breakfast, before the day really gets going.
2. When you leave: Fill a bottle with hot tea and pack it – just as naturally as your keys and phone.
3. At work: Put the bottle where you can see it on your desk. What you see, you are more likely to drink.
4. With every meal: A drink is always part of it.
5. In the afternoon: When the slump comes, have a cup of tea rather than the next biscuit.
6. In the evening: A pot of herbal tea on the sofa replaces the after-work drink from the fridge door.

A glance at the bottle in the afternoon immediately tells you how much you have already drunk. If it was full in the morning and is still full at lunchtime, you know where you stand.

Drinking warm on the go: the thermos bottle

To keep warm drinks warm on the go, an insulated bottle is the most practical solution. A normal cup cools down within a few minutes in the cold, and so does a single-walled bottle. A double-walled thermos bottle, on the other hand, keeps hot tea warm for hours – on the way to work, on a winter walk or at the Christmas market.

According to the manufacturer, our two IZY bottles keep drinks hot for up to 12 hours. The IZY x Pip Studio “La Dolce Vita” thermos bottle and the IZY Bottles Van Gogh Flowers thermos bottle are made of double-walled, rustproof stainless steel, have a leak-proof screw cap and, at 500 ml, fit into a bag or rucksack. They stay dry and pleasantly temperate on the outside. And with their colourful designs, they bring a little summer into grey winter days.

A word of caution: because the bottle does not get hot on the outside, it is easy to underestimate the temperature of the contents. Take the first sip carefully or pour some into a cup.

Out in the cold: walks, bike rides, winter outings

If you spend a lot of time outdoors in winter, you should plan your drinking consciously. On a long winter walk, on the way by bike or on a trip to the snow, half a day can easily pass without a single sip. A few ideas that have proven themselves:

• Fixed drinking break: Plan a short stop about every hour and pour yourself a cup of tea.
• Bottle within reach: Do not pack it at the very bottom of your rucksack, but in a side pocket or your jacket pocket.
• Something warm to finish: After the outing, make a pot of tea at home – that way you catch up on what fell short on the way.

Especially in the cold, a warm cup is also a lovely break. If you are out like this, you will quickly notice: drinking in winter feels completely different with a hot drink than with an ice-cold bottle of water.

Drinking in winter around the sauna

For many people, going to the sauna is a fixed part of winter. Drinking plays a role here too: during the breaks between sauna sessions, most people like to drink something, and in winter often warm tea rather than ice-cold water. A thermos bottle of tea in your sauna bag is therefore a nice habit for the relaxation room. By the way, you do not drink in the sauna cabin itself, but before and after. You can find more about saunas in the cold season in our article Sauna in winter, and what else goes in the bag in Packing your sauna bag.

Common mistakes when drinking in winter

• Only drinking when thirsty: In winter, thirst often only shows up late.
• Only coffee and mulled wine: Alcoholic drinks such as mulled wine are no substitute for water or tea.
• Too much sugar: Hot cocoa and punch every day add up.
• Forgetting the bottle at home: Ideally, put it out the evening before.
• Cold bottle in the rucksack: If the water is ice-cold, you will hardly drink it outdoors. Warm is often the better choice here.

Related reading: Drink more water: 10 tips that really work in everyday life · How much water a day? The DGE guidelines explained simply · Tea in a thermos bottle: how it stays hot without turning bitter

Conclusion

Drinking in winter is harder for many people because thirst and heat are missing as natural reminders, while heating air and cold still take their toll. With warm, unsweetened drinks, fixed drinking moments in your daily routine and a good thermos bottle for on the go, it becomes a habit. And if the bottle looks beautiful too, you will reach for it more often all by yourself. You can find both IZY designs in our IZY collection.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to drink as much in winter as in summer?

In winter, too, the body needs fluid regularly, even if thirst is less noticeable. How much you personally need depends on many factors – if you have health questions, please clarify them with a doctor.

Which drinks are best in winter?

Unsweetened warm drinks such as hot water, herbal, fruit or rooibos tea. See cocoa and punch more as an occasional treat.

How does tea stay warm on the go in winter?

With a double-walled thermos bottle. According to the manufacturer, our IZY bottles keep drinks hot for up to 12 hours. Opening it rarely helps too.

Does mulled wine count towards fluid intake?

Alcoholic drinks are no substitute for water or tea. If you drink mulled wine, plan for additional non-alcoholic drinks.

How do I remember to drink in winter?

Link drinking to fixed moments such as getting up, meals and breaks, and put a full bottle where you can see it.

Thermos bottles for winter

Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.