The temperature of your bedroom can make a significant difference to your sleep quality. Some experts found that cool room temperature was one of the factors in getting a good night’s sleep.
The best bedroom temperature for sleep is approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). This may vary by a few degrees from person to person, but most doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 19.4 degrees Celsius) for the most comfortable sleep.
Our bodies are programmed to experience a slight dip in core temperature in the evening. Turning the thermostat down at night may help with temperature regulation and signal your body that it’s time for bed.
Why Temperature Affect Sleep?
Our sleep cycle is regulated by our circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is based on the light-and-dark cycle of the sun and controlled by a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in the hypothalamus. This master “body clock” gets its cues from numbers of environmental and personal factors, ranging from the amount of light exposure to exercise, and temperature.
Our core body temperature hovers around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) but fluctuates by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the night. The drop in temperature starts about two hours before you go to sleep, coinciding with the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. During sleep, body temperature continues to fall, reaching a low point in the early morning and then gradually warming up as the morning progresses.
The principal way in which the body cools itself down for sleep is by sending heat away from the core. In a process called vasodilation, the circadian clock sends a signal to increase blood flow to the extremities. Indeed, people who have chronically cold feet may be at higher risk for sleep-onset insomnia, and it may be due to a disruption of this process.
What Happens When Your Bedroom Is Too Hot?
Warmer temperatures can cause discomfort and restlessness, and anyone who has slept in a stuffy bedroom can attest that it’s hard to nod off when you’re sweaty and dehydrated. A bedroom that’s too warm can interfere with your body’s thermoregulation abilities and cause fatigue. Often, a person who is fatigued will feel physically and mentally tired, but unable to fall asleep.
Body temperature affects not only sleep onset, but also sleep quality and the time spent in different sleep stages. A higher core body temperature has been associated with a decrease in restorative slow-wave sleep and subjective sleep quality. Similarly, a bigger difference in temperature between the core and the extremities – which indicates that the body is not efficiently sending heat away from the core – has been associated with decreased sleep efficiency and a higher likelihood of waking up after falling asleep.
The following Tips can help optimize your bedroom temperature and keeping the Bedroom Cool:
Close the blinds to reduce heat build-up during the day
Move downstairs during the summer
Turn down the thermostat at night
Use a fan or air conditioning in hot climates
Open the windows to promote ventilation
Control bedroom humidity
Reduce sweating the best mattress, sheets, duvet, comforter, pillow, pajamas for temperature regulation
Take a warm bath an hour or two before bedtime to encourage a natural cool-down effect
Sleep hygiene habits like going to bed at the same time every night, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and keeping a dark, quiet bedroom will help you set your body clock and sleeping temperature on a consistent schedule.