Blog4 January 2022

Television and warmth crucial to a good night in, survey finds

The perfect cosy night in includes watching something on the telly, pizza for dinner and good company.

Brits also say they try to create their very own perfect night as often as 12 nights a month – with 79 per cent doing so more commonly during the winter.

Spending quality time with partners, getting to wear cosy pyjamas and not caring about personal appearance were all cited as being key components of cosiness.

While the study of 2,000 adults found the darkness and cold of the season are the main reasons people are staying in, 36 per cent admit to keeping their wits about them due to the new Omicron strain.

A spokesperson from Andrews Sykes, which commissioned the survey, said: “It’s important to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest and the results show many make the effort to have a cosy night in.

“And it’s also shown the components to a perfect night – from having a slice of pizza to cranking up the temperature!”

More than three quarters tend to have more cosy nights in during the Christmas period – with an average of three snacks bought to munch on.

And of the parents who took part in the survey, 40 per cent would let their kids have a later bedtime to enjoy such an evening.

One in five even treat themselves to a log fire and blankets, according to the findings via OnePoll.

Almost half of those asked said feeling cosy isn’t just confined to the four walls of their own surroundings, with the homes of friends or family, hotels and pubs also seen as pleasant spots to relax.

A spokesperson from Andrews Sykes, added: “While it’s nice to feel warm and cosy at home, it’s always enjoyable to feel the same elsewhere, too.

“From walking into a shop and feeling the comforting heating after being outside in the cold to going to a quaint pub or restaurant.

“Either way, the key to being cosy is being snuggly and warm.”

 

TOP 20 FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT A COSY NIGHT IN

  1. When it’s cold and rainy outside and you’re snug indoors
  2. It’s more relaxing than a night out
  3. Spending time with your partner
  4. Not caring what you look like
  5. When there’s a film you really want to watch
  6. Binge watching a TV series
  7. You can wear your cosiest pyjamas
  8. You can pause the movie to make a cup of tea
  9. Ordering a takeaway
  10. You can eat loads of great snacks
  11. Not having to make your way home after midnight
  12. Not spending a fortune on drinks
  13. Catching up on sleep
  14. Enjoying being anti-social
  15. You can pamper yourself
  16. You can get lost in a novel
  17. Soaking in a long bubble bath
  18. You can multi-task (e.g. do laundry and watch TV at the same time)
  19. There’s no queue for the toilets
  20. Eating loads of biscuits

 

1. What are/would be the most important components of a cosy night in? [Select up to 3]

% n
Something good to watch on the tv (e.g. film / tv show) 50% ↑ 997
Warmth 47% ↑ 945
Good food 38% ↑ 769
Great company 36% ↑ 717
A cosy atmosphere (e.g. dimmed lighting) 31% ↑ 624
Snacks 25% ↓ 497
Log fire 21% ↓ 411
Blankets 20% ↓ 392
Other 1% ↓ 21
N/A – not sure / nothing in particular 5% ↓ 108
Total sample; base n = 2000
 

2. How frequently do you try to have a cosy night in? (i.e. a night where you have no plans at all and the evening is free to do whatever you like indoors)  [Please select best match]

% n
Daily 20% ↑ 406
A few times a week 32% ↑ 633
Weekly 23% ↑ 461
Fortnightly 6% ↓ 126
Monthly 6% ↓ 110
Less than once a month 4% ↓ 82
N/A – I never try to have a cosy night in 9% ↓ 182
Total sample; base n = 2000
 

3. What food is/would be best for a cozy night in? [Select up to 3]

% n
Pizza 35% ↑ 706
Chinese 26% ↑ 519
Fish & chips 26% ↑ 510
Curry 22% ↑ 439
Pasta 14% 289
Steak 12% ↓ 234
Pie & chips 11% ↓ 229
Burgers 11% ↓ 224
Mexican 9% ↓ 173
Tapas 9% ↓ 172
Seafood 8% ↓ 166
Sushi 5% ↓ 105
Other 2% ↓ 34
N/A – not sure / none in particular 19% ↑ 375
Total sample; base n = 2000
 

4. How many different types of snacks would you usually buy for a cosy night in?

% n
0 12% ↓ 210
1 to 2 44% ↑ 803
3 to 4 31% ↑ 558
5 to 6 10% ↓ 178
7 to 8 3% ↓ 49
9 to 10 1% ↓ 15
11+ 0% ↓ 5
Average 2.6 ↑
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

5. If you have children, would you ever let them have a later bedtime when having a cosy night in?

% n
Yes 40% ↑ 728
No 12% ↓ 222
N/A – don’t have children 33% ↑ 608
N/A – don’t have cosy nights in with my children 14% ↓ 260
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

6. Do you find you have usually have more or fewer cosy nights in during the winter compared to the rest of the year?

% n
Much more 36% ↑ 647
Somewhat more 43% ↑ 790
Neither more nor fewer 20% 357
Somewhat fewer 1% ↓ 17
Much fewer 0% ↓ 7
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

7. Do you tend to have more cosy nights in specifically during the Christmas period?

% n
Yes 76% ↑ 1095
No 24% ↓ 342
Total sample; base n = 1437; total n = 2000; 563 missing
 

8. How many cosy nights in will you have in an average month, during winter? [Please select best match where 0 = less than one a month]

% n
0 1% ↓ 19
1-5 24% ↑ 436
6-10 20% ↑ 371
11-15 14% 256
16-20 10% ↓ 178
21-25 7% ↓ 122
26-31 11% 208
N/A – not sure 13% 228
Average 12.3 ↑
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

9. If you are spending more cosy nights in at the moment, why is this? [Select all that apply]

% n
It’s too cold 54% ↑ 974
It’s too dark 44% ↑ 791
I am still cautious about Covid 36% ↑ 650
There are better TV shows on 20% 359
I’m saving my money because of Christmas 20% 356
Friends are less likely to want to go out 17% 316
I hate waiting for public transport in the cold 15% ↓ 272
I prefer my summer wardrobe to my winter wardrobe 11% ↓ 201
Umbrellas keep breaking in the bad weather 8% ↓ 153
N/A – not having more cosy nights in at the moment 8% ↓ 150
I usually go on a booze ban in the winter 8% ↓ 145
Other 1% ↓ 16
N/A – not sure / no particular reason 7% ↓ 124
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

10. What are your favourite things about a cosy night in? [Select all that apply]

% n
When it’s cold and rainy outside and you’re snug indoors 46% ↑ 836
It’s more relaxing than a night out 42% ↑ 761
Spending time with your partner 34% ↑ 625
Not caring what you look like 33% ↑ 594
When there’s a film you really want to watch 32% ↑ 577
Binge watching a TV series 31% ↑ 572
You can wear your cosiest pyjamas 31% ↑ 562
You can pause the movie to make a cup of tea 28% ↑ 508
Ordering a takeaway 27% ↑ 486
You can eat loads of great snacks 27% ↑ 483
Not having to make your way home after midnight 23% 412
Not spending a fortune on drinks 21% 379
Catching up on sleep 20% 370
Enjoying being anti-social 20% ↓ 366
You can pamper yourself 18% ↓ 322
You can get lost in a novel 18% ↓ 321
Soaking in a long bubble bath 16% ↓ 287
You can multi-task (e.g. do laundry and watch TV at the same time) 15% ↓ 277
There’s no queue for the toilet 15% ↓ 265
Eating loads of biscuits 13% ↓ 243
Feeling smug about not waking up with a hangover 11% ↓ 199
You don’t feel pressure to put your whole evening on social media 8% ↓ 148
Other 0% ↓ 4
N/A – not sure / no reason in particular 5% ↓ 90
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

11. What’s the perfect time for bed when having a cosy night in?

% n
20:01-21:00 13% ↓ 230
21:01-22:00 21% ↑ 386
22:01-23:00 35% ↑ 632
23:01-Midnight 20% ↑ 367
Earlier than 20:00 3% ↓ 56
Later than midnight 8% ↓ 147
Average 22:17:06
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

12. What are your favourite things to do during a cosy night in? [Tick all that apply]

% n
Watch a film 56% ↑ 1013
Watch TV – like news, soaps etc 47% ↑ 855
Watch episodes of a box set 34% ↑ 624
Read a book 32% ↑ 589
Have a bath 28% ↑ 516
Have sex 24% ↑ 439
Cook an elaborate dinner 15% ↓ 264
Play a boardgame 14% ↓ 252
Read a magazine 13% ↓ 241
Engage in a hobby like painting or playing guitar 12% ↓ 227
Change the bed sheets 10% ↓ 182
Do laundry 7% ↓ 136
Other 1% ↓ 20
N/A – not sure / nothing in particular 5% ↓ 83
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

13. Who would you most like to spend a cosy night in with? [Select best match]

% n
With just my partner 48% ↑ 951
By myself 21% ↑ 415
With my partner and my kids 11% ↓ 216
With just my kids 5% ↓ 107
With friends 3% ↓ 67
With extended family 2% ↓ 36
Other 1% ↓ 13
N/A – not sure / no one in particular 10% ↓ 195
Total sample; base n = 2000
 

14. Are you currently trying to save money ahead of Christmas?

% n
Yes 48% ↑ 962
No 46% ↑ 919
N/A – don’t celebrate Christmas 6% ↓ 119
Total sample; base n = 2000
 

15. What time would you ideally like to have your dinner on a cosy night in?

% n
17:01-18:00 20% ↑ 356
18:01-19:00 33% ↑ 603
19:01-20:00 23% ↑ 421
20:01-21:00 10% ↓ 174
21:01-22:00 3% ↓ 47
22:01-23:00 1% ↓ 25
23:01-Midnight 0% ↓ 7
Before 17:00 3% ↓ 62
N/A – not sure / no particular time 7% ↓ 123
Average 18:51:22
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

16. Do you ever turn up the heating for a cosy night in?

% n
Yes – most times 22% ↓ 401
Yes – some of the time 51% ↑ 930
No – never 22% ↓ 409
N/A – not sure 4% ↓ 78
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing
 

17. Can you feel cosy in other places than your home?

% n
Yes 46% ↑ 914
No 38% ↑ 751
N/A – not sure 17% ↓ 335
Total sample; base n = 2000
 

18. If you ever feel cosy in places other than your home, where? [Select all that apply]

% n
Family’s / friends’ homes 59% ↑ 542
Hotels 43% ↑ 394
Pubs 39% ↑ 356
Restaurants 26% 240
Cinema 24% ↓ 216
Work 15% ↓ 141
N/A – not sure / can’t recall 6% ↓ 57
Other 2% ↓ 15
Total sample; base n = 914; total n = 2000; 1086 missing
 

19. How important is warmth to feeling cosy on a night in?

% n
Very important 58% ↑ 1051
Somewhat important 40% ↑ 724
Not very important 2% ↓ 37
Not at all important 0% ↓ 6
Total sample; base n = 1818; total n = 2000; 182 missing