Did you know that around 11% of adults don’t get enough sleep each night? We spend about one-third of our lives asleep or attempting to sleep. Sleep deprivation can negatively affect our lives and health.
Various factors can affect your sleep patterns. One thing that can contribute to a lack of sleep is your room’s temperature. If a room is too cold or too hot, it can disrupt your sleeping pattern. Finding the right temperature for sleep is crucial to getting the sleep you need each night.
The ideal sleep temperature varies from person to person. This guide will discuss what the best sleeping temperature is.
What’s the Ideal Room Temperature for Sleep?
Setting your thermostat between 60 and 67° is a good rule of thumb for nighttime. Since everybody is different, you should experiment with different temperatures to find the right one.
Being in this temperature range helps you stay cool enough to reduce your body’s core temperature. You’ll also be warm enough, so your muscles relax.
What’s the Science Behind Our Body Temperature?
Our sleep patterns are regulated by our daily routine and sleep-wake cycle. Another term for our internal body clock is the circadian rhythm. Our body’s circadian rhythm maintains the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle.
Our internal body clock tells us when to sleep, wake up, and eat. This process is affected by darkness and light. That’s why most people are active during daylight hours and sleep at night.
The temperature of our body follows this same cycle. Our body’s core temperature is about 98° and rises and falls throughout the day.
Our core temperature progressively drops throughout the night when we go to bed. It reaches its lowest point around 5 am. As we start to wake up, our internal temperature rises.
Why Does the Room Temperature Matter?
Helping lower our core temperature can help us fall asleep quicker. Making the room cooler can help in this area.
If your bedroom is too hot, it can keep you awake and affect your sleep stages. Lowering your thermostat setting can reduce your body’s core temperature. It’ll help facilitate the onset of sleep.
Remember that if your room is too cold, it might negatively affect your core temperature. As a result, your sleep patterns will get disrupted. That’s why finding the right temperature between cold and warm is critical.
What Happens if the Temperature Is Too Warm?
Sleeping during the summer months can be challenging. The days are lighter later, and you have additional humidity, heat, and sweat to deal with. A hot room can decrease your REM sleep cycle, resulting in restlessness.
If your body’s core temperature is too high, it might cause a reduced sleep wave. It’ll also decrease your sleep efficiency.
Having a poor sleep cycle might make you feel cranky the following day. You might experience a decrease in concentration and memory. If your room is above 75°, you might find falling and staying asleep difficult.
What Happens if the Temperature Is Too Cold?
A cooler temperature helps our body’s core temperature naturally decrease at night. It can promote better quality sleep.
Cold temperatures don’t affect our sleep patterns much as hot temperatures. However, too cold of a temperature can affect our sleep quality by keeping us away.
If you’re too cold, your muscles contract because they’re trying to keep your body warm. Your muscles contracting will prevent you from feeling comfortable or relaxing. If you cannot completely relax, your body and brain will find it challenging to fall asleep.
Any temperature that’s below 54° is thought to disrupt your sleep. If you find it hard to relax when you’re going to sleep, try raising the temperature a few degrees. You can also put an extra blanket on your bed.
Ways to Find the Right Sleeping Temperature
Turning down your thermostat is the easiest way to find the ideal temperature for sleeping. There are other ways you can help your body feel comfortable at night.
Swap Out Your Bedding
You should change out the type of bedding you use with each new season. During the warmer months, use bedding made from airy, more breathable materials. Some fabrics you should look out for include:
- Linen
- Cotton
- Tencel
These materials are warm enough for winter, making them perfect all year long.
Utilize Fans
While turning down your thermostat is an excellent start to finding the right temperature, you should also use fans in your bedroom. Fans help encourage airflow. They’re beneficial if you don’t have an air conditioning vent by your bed.
Wear Lightweight Clothing
Don’t wear pajamas that retain your body heat, like satin or polyester. Heat-wicking and lightweight clothing are perfect for keeping you comfortable and cool. Look for sleepwear that’s made from cotton.
Evaluate Your Mattress
Some memory foam mattresses aren’t very breathable. They might retain your body heat, causing you to sweat at night.
If you find that your mattress is increasing your body temperature, try adding a gel mattress topper. The mattress topper will put a cool barrier between you and your mattress.
Take a Bath or Shower
Try taking a warm bath or shower before bed. When you get out of the warm shower, you’ll experience a drop in your body temperature. That sensation might help you feel more relaxed and sleepy.
Find the Right Temperature to Promote Healthy Sleeping Habits
Finding the right temperature for sleeping can take some trial and error. While you should stay within the recommended zone of 60 to 67°, feel free to adjust the temperature as needed. Explore different ways to keep yourself cool and comfortable at night.
San Francisco Heating and Air Conditioning are here to help you find the right sleeping temperature. Schedule an appointment with us today to learn more about our services.
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