What is the Best Temperature for Sleeping?
A cooler sleeping environment helps signal your body it’s time to wind down and rest, whereas warmer temperatures can lead to restlessness and difficulty falling asleep.
Andrew Jolie July 19, 2024 7 min read
First off, did you know that your body naturally cools down by about 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit (0.6 to 1.1 degrees Celsius) during sleep, which helps facilitate restful slumber? Well, now you know!
So, what is the best temperature for sleep?
Research suggests that the optimal sleeping temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 and 19.4 degrees Celsius).
At this range, your body is better able to initiate and maintain the cooling process that occurs naturally as part of your circadian rhythm [aka the internal clock that tells your body when it’s time to sleep and wake].
Sleeping within this temperature range helps facilitate deeper, more restorative sleep by aligning with your body’s natural cooling tendency.
Why is this temperature so crucial?
That’s because finding the temperature that’s 'just right' for you can be the difference between a restful night and a restless one.
A cooler sleeping environment helps signal your body it’s time to wind down and rest, whereas warmer temperatures can lead to restlessness and difficulty falling asleep.
How Does Temperature Affect Your Sleep?
Temperature significantly affects sleep calmness, difficulty in falling asleep, sleep satisfaction, and sleep sufficiency, and here’s how...
When it’s time to sleep, your body’s internal thermostat drops, signaling your brain that it’s time to wind down. Now, this natural drop in body temperature is an essential part of your circadian rhythm, the guy that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, remember?
If the room is too hot or cold, this natural process can be disrupted, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.
Optimal Sleeping Temperature: Most sleep scientists agree that a slightly cool room, around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius), is ideal for sleep. This temperature supports your body’s natural cooling down process. If the room is too warm, it can prevent cooling from happening efficiently, leading to tossing and turning and a night of light, fragmented sleep.
Too Cold Can Be Troublesome As Well: If you sleep in a room that’s too cold, your body has to work extra hard to generate heat, which can also lead to discomfort and wakefulness. You might wake up in the middle of the night and need to add blankets.
Heat Disrupts REM Sleep: Warm temperatures are particularly disruptive during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, which is critical for brain functions like memory, learning, and creativity. High temperatures can shorten this phase of deep rest, affecting how rested you feel the next day and impacting your mood and mental abilities.
Pro Tip: To optimize your bedroom environment, consider investing in a programmable thermostat to keep your room at the ideal sleep temperature.
Lightweight, breathable bedding can also help, as can avoiding heavy meals and strenuous exercise close to bedtime, which can raise your body temperature.
Understanding and managing the temperature in your sleep environment can lead to better sleep quality, making you feel more refreshed and ready to go the next day.
What's the Healthiest Temperature to Sleep In?
Finding the temperature sweet spot within your sleep space is one key to enjoying the best sleep of your life. But what's the healthiest temperature to curl up under the covers?
When Your Bedroom is Too Hot
If your sleep space feels more like a sauna than a sanctuary, you might struggle to drift off or wake up frequently throughout the night.
Here’s why: Excess heat can interfere with your body’s natural dip in temperature, which is crucial for signaling sleep readiness.
Overly warm conditions can reduce the efficiency of this cooling process, disrupting the structure of your sleep and shortening the duration of deep, restorative REM cycles.
The result? Fitful sleep and groggy mornings.
Moreover, high temperatures increase the likelihood of sweating, dehydration, and discomfort, further disturbing your sleep.
What to do? Consider using fans, air conditioning, or moisture-wicking bedding to help maintain a cooler environment conducive to good sleep.
When Your Bedroom is Too Cold
On the flip side, stepping into a bedroom that's too chilly can also disrupt your slumber.
While a cool room generally promotes better sleep, an environment that's too cold might force your body to shift its focus from sleep to warming up.
This can lead to discomfort, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Shivering under your covers indicates that your sleep environment is too cold. This can be particularly jarring during the REM stage of sleep when your body's ability to regulate temperature is diminished.
To keep warm, use insulated curtains, flannel sheets, or an additional blanket to maintain a comfortable sleep environment without overheating.
Finding the sweet spot for your sleeping temperature might take some experimentation, but once you dial it in, you will be surprised at how much your sleep quality improves.
Bear in mind that maintaining the ideal room temperature goes beyond comfort to creating the optimal conditions for your body to rest, recover, and rejuvenate.
Source: Pexels
7 Tips to Keep the Ideal Room Temperature for Sleeping
Temperature has a big influence on your sleep, even though it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about improving your sleep.
Below are 7 practical tips to help you maintain the ideal sleeping environment:
- Invest in a Programmable Thermostat: Take control of your sleeping environment by setting a programmable thermostat to lower the temperature automatically during bedtime. For best results, aim for between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 19.4 degrees Celsius).
- Use Light, Breathable Bedding: Opt for lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton or bamboo for your bedding. These materials help regulate body temperature and keep you comfortable throughout the night.
- Block out the Sun: Use blackout curtains or heavy blinds to keep your bedroom cool by blocking out warm sunlight during the day, especially if your windows face the sun in the late afternoon.
- Use Fans Wisely: A ceiling or standing fan can circulate air and provide a gentle, cooling breeze. If it’s cooler outside at night, place a fan near the window to pull in the fresh air.
- Limit Heat-Producing Appliances: Before bedtime, try to minimize the use of heat-producing appliances in or near the bedroom. This includes TVs, computers, and other electronics that emit heat and raise room temperature.
- Consider Bedding Alternatives: Switch to moisture-wicking sheets and lighter comforters during hotter months. Flannel sheets and a heavier duvet can help retain body heat without overheating in colder seasons.
- Seal Leaks and Drafts: Ensure your windows and doors are properly sealed. Drafts can bring in cold air during the winter and hot air in the summer, disrupting your ideal sleep temperature.
These tips help create a consistently comfortable sleep environment, enabling deeper, more restorative sleep.
Does Ideal Sleep Temperature Change with Age?
Yes, the ideal sleep temperature can change as we move through different stages of life.
A slightly warmer room is often recommended for infants and young children. Why? Young kids and babies have a harder time regulating their body temperature than adults. Pediatricians typically suggest a room temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 to 21.1 degrees Celsius) to keep them comfortable and safe.
As we transition into adulthood, the cooler end of the spectrum becomes more suitable. The general consensus for adults is to keep the bedroom between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 19.4 degrees Celsius).
Why? This range helps facilitate the natural decrease in body temperature as part of our circadian rhythms, promoting deeper, more restful sleep.
However, maintaining a slightly warmer bedroom might be beneficial again for seniors.
Older adults often have poorer circulation and thinner skin, which makes them more susceptible to the cold. A bedroom temperature closer to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (around 21 degrees Celsius) can prevent discomfort due to chills and help ensure uninterrupted sleep.
So, consider these age-related factors when determining the best sleeping environment for yourself or your loved ones.
Adjustments in bedroom temperature, tailored to the individual’s age and health conditions, can significantly improve sleep quality and overall well-being.
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And…it’s a wrap, guys!
The ideal sleeping temperature is generally between 60°F and 67°F (15.6°C to 19.4°C). Temperatures below this range can make it difficult to fall asleep and may disrupt sleep quality as the body struggles to maintain its core temperature. If the room is too cold, it can lead to discomfort and restlessness, impacting overall sleep health.
A bedroom temperature above 70°F (21°C) is generally considered too hot for sleeping. Excessively warm environments can disrupt the body's natural cooling process, leading to restlessness and difficulty falling asleep. Ideally, the recommended sleeping temperature is between 60°F and 67°F (15.6°C to 19.4°C), which promotes better sleep quality and helps maintain the necessary conditions for restorative sleep stages.
It is generally better to sleep in a cooler environment. Most experts recommend a bedroom temperature between 60°F and 67°F (15.6°C to 19.4°C) for optimal sleep quality. Sleeping in a room that is too warm can lead to more frequent awakenings, reduced sleep efficiency, and less time spent in restorative sleep stages. Maintaining a slightly cooler temperature helps facilitate the natural drop in core body temperature during sleep and supports the release of sleep-promoting hormones like melatonin.
The normal body temperature when sleeping typically ranges from 97°F to 98.6°F (36.1°C to 37°C). During sleep, the body's core temperature can drop by about 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, reaching its lowest point in the early morning hours. This natural decrease in temperature is part of the body's circadian rhythm and helps facilitate restful sleep, making it crucial for maintaining overall sleep quality.
Yes, you can, including sensations like touch, pain, and pleasure. Many individuals report experiencing vivid physical sensations during both regular and lucid dreams, such as the feeling of being touched or the pain of an injury. These sensations can feel quite real and may even carry over into waking life, leading to lingering feelings of discomfort or awareness after awakening.
Yes, your body naturally gets colder when you sleep. During sleep, the body's core temperature drops by about 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, reaching its lowest point in the early morning hours. This natural decrease in temperature is part of the body's circadian rhythm and helps facilitate restful sleep. The body's thermoregulatory system adjusts blood flow to the skin and extremities, allowing heat to dissipate and the body to cool down.
