Attaining a good sleep isn't easy. Several factors can contribute to a restful slumber, such as setting a comfortable temperature in your bedroom. But did you know that the right temperature for good sleep is just as essential as the right mattress or pillow?
The answer may surprise you if you're wondering what is the right temperature for a good sleep. Keep reading to learn everything you need about the connection between temperature and sleep.
How Does Temperature Affect Sleep?
While the bedroom temperature may seem insignificant in comparison to factors like mattress quality and light, the sleep temperature of your sleep environment can tremendously impact your sleep cycle. Human beings are incredibly sensitive to their environment; even small temperature changes can significantly disrupt regular sleep cycles.
Temperature plays an essential role in promoting restorative sleep, as it helps create a comfortable environment for sleeping. Here are more such reasons why you should maintain the correct temperature in your room:
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Improves Sleep Quality
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Elongates Sleep Duration
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Relaxes the Muscles
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Reduces the Heart Rate
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Alters Core Body Temperature
What's the Right Temperature for a Good Sleep?
Well, there is no single "correct" temperature for sleep, as people have different ideal sleeping conditions. Where frequently it depends on the individual and their preferences, research at Sleep Foundation suggests that the ideal temperature for sleep is between 60-67°F (15-19°C). This range of temperatures helps to create an environment conducive to restful sleep.
However, certain factors affect the best temperature for sleep, including age, location, and season.
For instance, while infants and babies will sleep more comfortably in higher temperatures, adults and seniors typically prefer a cooler bedroom. As people age their body temperature shifts slightly, so they may find it harder to stay cool.
Below we have listed the optimum temperatures for individuals that fall into different categories based on age.
Infants and Babies - 68-72°F (20-22°C)
Children - 63-74°F (17-23°C)
Teens - 60-67°F (15-19°C)
Adults and Seniors - 60-67°F (15-19°C)
How to Keep Your Bedroom Cool?
We all know, keeping your bedroom cool can be a challenge. That's because the bedroom is often the warmest room in a home due to its size and lack of ventilation. Luckily, there are some easy ways to keep your bedroom cool and comfortable year-round.
Here are a few ways to help keep your bedroom cool and comfortable:
Keep Windows Open at Night
One of the most effective ways to keep your bedroom at the best temperature during hot summer nights is by keeping windows open. Open windows allow for maximum airflow, which can help regulate the temperature and make the air more comfortable. Make sure to position the window in such a way that it captures any natural breeze while still blocking out direct sunlight. It's also essential to ensure any curtains are drawn to prevent the sun from warming up your room.
Purchase a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat can be handy for keeping your bedroom cool. You can set the optimal sleep temperature to drop at night, so you don't have to worry about waking up in an uncomfortably hot room. And, because the thermostat will cool down your bedroom before you go to bed, it will be easier for you to fall asleep.
Install Ceiling Fans
A ceiling fan circulates air, creating a cooling breeze that can help reduce the temperature by several degrees in the room. The fan blades also move the warm air near the ceiling back down, allowing cooler air to circulate near the floor.
Moreover, during summer months, ceiling fans can be used in conjunction with an air conditioner. This is a great way to lower energy costs while keeping a bedroom comfortable and relaxed.
Get a Mattress With Cooling Technology
Hot summer nights can make for a miserable sleeping experience, but a mattress with cooling technology could be the solution you're looking for. Specialized materials and air pockets are designed to draw heat away from your body as you sleep, allowing you to stay cool and comfortable even when temperatures outside rise.
These mattresses also have breathable covers that keep cool air circulating you, ensuring a body temperature-controlled sleeping environment. Not only will a mattress with cooling technology helps keep your bedroom cooler, but it can also provide additional health benefits like improved circulation and pressure relief.
Make Sure Air Vents Are Not Blocked by Furniture
Air vents provide the necessary airflow to keep the temperature in your home or business comfortable and consistent. Unfortunately, furniture can sometimes be placed too close to air vents, resulting in reduced efficiency and even damage to your heating and cooling systems.
Therefore it's essential to ensure your air vents are not blocked by furniture. Keeping the area around air vents clear and ensuring sofas, chairs, and other furniture items do not obstruct them will help keep the temperature in your bedroom cool.
Limit Screen Time Before Bedtime
Screen time has several detrimental effects on the quality of your sleep, mainly when it takes place close to bedtime. The blue light emitted by devices like phones and tablets can interfere with the body's natural production of melatonin - a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles.
This disruption to average melatonin production can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, resulting in fatigue and exhaustion the next day. Limiting your screen time before bedtime is key to creating a comfortable and calming atmosphere in the bedroom so that you can get the quality sleep you need each night.
Plus, a digital curfew before going to bed may be a great way to reconnect with yourself and practice mindful relaxation techniques before bed. So try to avoid screens before bed and give yourself a chance to get a good sleep!
Why Should You Avoid Sleeping in a Hot Bedroom?
There are a few reasons why you should avoid sleeping in a hot bedroom. First, sleeping in a hot environment can make it challenging to get a good sleep. Second, overheating at night can lead to health problems like heart disease and obesity. Finally, sleeping in a hot bedroom can be uncomfortable and cause restless sleep.
When sleeping in a hot room, your body cannot regulate its temperature as effectively. This can cause uncomfortable night sweats and lead to sleep disturbances. Additionally, a study posted on NIH has shown that people who sleep in hotter temperatures tend to get less restorative deep sleep than those who maintain cooler bedroom temperatures.
Here are a few essential reasons why you should avoid sleeping in a hot bedroom:
Disrupts Your Good Night's Sleep Quality
Sleeping in a hot bedroom can seriously affect your circadian rhythm and ultimately the quality of sleep. Not only does the heat make it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, but it can also cause physical discomfort. Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to dehydration and headaches, making for an uncomfortable night's rest.
Furthermore, because our bodies naturally cool down during sleep, it becomes even more challenging to remain asleep in a hot room. The body will struggle to regulate its temperature, leading to restlessness and frequent awakenings throughout the night. This lack of deep and restful sleep can significantly impact your mental and physical health.
To ensure restful nights, it is essential to ensure your bedrooms are well-ventilated and maintained at a comfortable temperature. Investing in a quality air conditioning unit or cooling system may benefit those who experience summer heat waves or live in warmer climates.
Makes It Difficult to Fall Asleep
It can be challenging to fall asleep and stay asleep when sleeping in a hot bedroom. Hot temperatures cause your body temperature to rise, making you sweat more, making it hard to drift off.
Additionally, increased humidity levels caused by the heat increase feelings of restlessness, resulting in further difficulty getting comfortable enough to rest. The discomfort of the heat can also make your mind race, making it impossible to fall asleep.
To ensure a good night's sleep in a hot bedroom, keeping the temperature as cool as possible is essential. When available, fans or air conditioning can help lower temperatures and make falling asleep easier. Additionally, staying hydrated and using breathable fabrics to sleep in can help reduce the discomfort of a hot bedroom.
Poses Health Risks to Children and the Elderly
Sleeping in a hot bedroom can be especially dangerous for children and the elderly, who are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. Young children's bodies don't adjust to extreme temperatures as adults do, and their thermoregulatory system is less developed, making them much more likely to suffer dehydration or heat exhaustion when sleeping in a hot bedroom.
The elderly, too, are at greater risk due to their decreased cardiovascular and thermoregulatory function. If an elderly person is sleeping in a hot environment, they may be more prone to heat-related illnesses such as fever or dehydration that can lead to further complications or even death.
For these reasons, parents and caretakers must ensure their children and elderly loved ones aren't sleeping in a hot bedroom. With suitable precautions, measures can be taken to reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses while providing a comfortable sleeping environment.
This leads to Higher Levels of Stress Hormones
Sleeping in a hot bedroom can cause a disruption in the circadian rhythm and an increase in stress hormones, leading to poor sleep quality. This is true even for those who are used to sleeping in warm environments. Research indicates that the body's natural cooling mechanism is disrupted when exposed to temperatures above body temperature.
As a result, the body does not cool down as it should during sleep, resulting in elevated levels of cortisol, the hormone that triggers the body's stress response. When exposed to high temperatures for a prolonged period (e.g., sleeping in a hot bedroom), cortisol levels can remain elevated throughout the night, leading to increased fatigue and poorer overall quality of sleep.
FAQS
Now that you know about the ideal sleep temperature and how to maintain it, here are a few commonly asked questions.
What Is Slow Wave Sleep?
Slow wave sleep, often called deep sleep, is one of the two types of sleep the body cycles through during a typical night's rest. The other type of sleep is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Slow wave sleep is considered the most restful phase of the sleep cycle as compared to rem sleep, and it's during this time that your body repairs and regenerates tissues and muscles.
What Is Too Cold for a Bedroom?
Temperature range a few degrees below 13°c is usually considered too cold for a bedroom. Temperature way below or higher than this may cause chronic health issues.
Is It Good to Sleep With Socks On?
Socks are an excellent way to keep your feet warm while sleeping. Warm feet also signal the brain about bedtime. But if you sleep with socks on, make sure you wear breathable fabrics and not too thick ones, as they can cause your feet to sweat, which is uncomfortable and could disrupt your sleep.
Is Sleeping Naked Better For Your Health?
Yes, sleeping naked can be beneficial for your health. Because it helps to regulate the body temperature, which in turn helps you get better quality sleep. Additionally, sleeping without clothes can reduce cortisol levels and promote relaxation. It's also good for skin health as it allows your skin to breathe and air out sweat overnight.
Wrap Up
To sum up, where a hot room disrupts quality sleep, can also have several adverse effects on the body, such as fatigue, stress, and decreased alertness. On the other hand, a relaxed environment can help create an ideal sleeping atmosphere. Therefore, we have mentioned the perfect bedroom temperature for perfect sleep, so you don't have to search for it.
Additionally, we have listed several tips to keep your bedroom cool, helping you get the best night's sleep and wake feeling refreshed. With these practical tips in mind, you can now enjoy a good night's rest at the right temperature for your bedroom.
