Buy a bag rated colder than you think you need, but dont get silly.
20 deg nights, get a 0 deg bag.
Dont go to bed while salty....use baby eipea to clean the salty sweat off your body. It is night and day more comfortable.
If its really damn cold, go to bed with less clorhes on. Seriously.
Use a sleeping pad. The ground has essentially unlimites heat sinking ability. If you put your bag on the geound with no pad, you will be cold no matter what.
Keep it dry.
Mak sure it is sized for you. You want to be gently wrapped, not snug. You dont want your feet wedged against the bottom. The more distance you have between the inside wall and outside wall of the bag, the warmer you will be.
If im not looking for something lightweight/technical, just buy what suits your needs and budget.