It may be tempting to turn the thermostat up when it’s cold
outside but that warm and toasty bedroom might be wrecking your sleep.
Experts say the ideal bedroom temp is somewhere between a
chilly 60 degrees and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because our bodies need a
lower temperature in order to properly sleep.
Throughout the day, our body temperature fluctuates. In the
morning, we start out low, gradually rising throughout midday and peaking around
dinner time. After that, it plummets sharply, hitting an all-time low in the
middle of the night before it begins to slightly creep up for our wake up time.
So we can restfully sleep, we need that body temperature to
stay nice and low. If our bedroom is over 75 degrees, that’s when the tossing
and turning starts. Your body won’t release the sleepy hormone melatonin if
your room is over 70 degrees. Melatonin will also help cool you down once it is
released.
There are other benefits to keeping it cool overnight. Sleeping in cool
temps helps you body regulate your metabolism and lowers the risk of metabolic
diseases like diabetes. It also helps slow down aging and promotes weight loss.
What about those flannel pjs and heavy blankets? You may
want to ditch ‘em. Sleeping nude will help keep you cooler. As for that pile of
blankets, less is more. You may want to switch to a light weighted blanket so you
still have that pleasing weight that many blankets bring, but not the heat.
At the end of the day, your bedroom’s temperature should be
comfortable to you, too, so you may need to tinker to get it just right. If your toes
feel like icicles, that won’t help you sleep, either.
During warmer months, a
fan, an open window or air conditioning may be needed to get your room temperature
right.
Temperature also goes hand in hand with other sleep hygiene tips,
too, like limiting caffeine and screen time before bed or keeping your room
nice and dark. Temperature is just one piece of the sleep puzzle, but an
important one that you shouldn’t ignore! Sweet dreams!
TL;DR: Keep your room cool for the best sleep of your life.