The Effect of Room Temperature on Sleep Quality
Maintaining a comfortable temperature in a sleeping environment is essential for quality sleep. The temperature of the room can affect how long, deep and restorative the sleep you get is. Too hot or too cold, and the quality of your sleep will suffer. Too much heat or cold can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate its temperature throughout the night.
Since not all bodies and sleepers have the same needs for temperature, it can be difficult to determine one ideal sleeping temperature for everyone. To have a good night’s sleep, you need to figure out what temperature makes your body comfortable, and try to match the room temperature to this.
If you are having issues falling asleep, maintaining comfortable temperature in the room may help reduce those issues. Read on to learn all about the connection between room temperature and sleep quality, plus useful tips and recommendations for sleeping at the right temperature.
What is the Ideal Sleeping Room Temperature?
The ideal sleeping temperature range is between 60°F and 67°F (15.5°C and 19.4°C). This temperature range is known to be the most comfortable for sleeping.
The temperature range can vary slightly from one individual to another, and some people might feel comfortable sleeping at lower or higher temperatures. Some studies indicate that babies sleep best — and more peacefully — at slightly warmer temperatures than adults.
Why is Room Temperature Important for Sleep?
Humans naturally drop in body temperature during sleep. To help prevent loss of body heat, the room needs to have a good balance between not being too hot and not being too cold. Too high or too low temperatures can disturb your sleep. Here’s why:
When the room’s temperature is higher than normal body temperature, the body has to work harder to regulate its temperature, which causes sweating and discomfort.
Conversely, when the room temperature drops below the normal body temperature, the body has to work harder to generate heat, which results in shivering and disruption in sleep.
Tips and Recommendations for Sleeping at the Right Temperature
- Set the temperature to the right range for sleeping: between 60°F and 67°F (15.5°C and 19.4°C)
- Turn down the thermostat in the evening to reduce the amount of warm air in the room
- Open windows in the bedroom at night to let in fresh, cool air
- Wear lightweight, comfortable pajamas or even sleep nude to keep the body cool
- Use a fan to circulate cool air around the room
Conclusion
Maintaining the right temperature in the sleeping environment is necessary for getting good quality sleep. Finding the most suitable temperature for sleep can be challenging as different people have different temperature needs. We suggest setting the room temperature between 60°F and 67°F (15.5°C and 19.4°C) as the starting point and using the tips mentioned above to optimize the sleeping environment for the best night’s sleep.