Studies show that sleeping less than 6 hours a night means a 12% increase in the risk of death. In the United States, around 100,000 vehicle crashes are sleep related. One of the factors that affects the quality and duration of our sleep is the room temperature. The question is, could one small adjustment to our room temperature give us a better nights’ sleep?
It is important to know that the room temperature has a bigger impact on our sleep cycle than light. Our bodies undergo a process called thermoregulation as part of the circadian cycle. We can also say that there is a clock in our body which regulates the temperature accordingly. Our body temperature is the highest during the late noon when we have enough energy from the food we have eaten. In the evening it starts to fall, getting our body ready for a slumber. This drop in body temperature is linked to the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep, so it is better to lower the thermostat down a few degrees as to promote the bodies cooling process. This little trick will not just help you to get a deeper sleep but will help you save money on your heating bills as well. It is important that a consistent cool temperature is maintained to ensure an uninterrupted sleep. Studies show that uninterrupted sleep is important to make a person feel fresh when waking up. You feel more fatigued when you wake up several times a night. Nobody likes getting up or turning sides and adjusting the temperature in the middle of the night. The right temperature can also prevent night sweats and related insomnia. Experts believe the ideal temperature is between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 19 degrees Celsius) for adults and 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for infants. Lower the temperature below 54 or higher than 75 and it can disturb your sleep.
There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your body maintains the right temperature throughout the night. Following a few practices can have a favorable outcome when it comes to getting a sound sleep. Keeping the windows of your room shut can help as the outside temperature may fluctuate which can affect the temperature of the room. It is also important to make sure that you are using the right kind of mattress. Some mattresses like memory foam can trap heat which can be more comforting to us. Getting a better comforter like Kömforte can also help overcome temperature differences between the opposite sexes. The easiest things you can do are like taking a shower before sleeping and wearing clothes made of breathable and light fabric like cotton or sleeping naked.
Sleeping at the recommended cool temperature can help you sleep quicker and increase your metabolism. It greatly contributes to having a REM (rapid-eye movement) and deep sleep. Getting a REM sleep is associated with many advantages as our brains are active at this time and this is when dreams occur, our bodies relax, and our heart rate may fluctuate. In deep sleep, our body undergoes restoration, we re-energize, our brains release hormones for growth and development, blood pressure drops and breathing frequency decreases. If the temperature in your room fluctuates a lot, you may wake up feeling cold or sweaty. Getting a better sleep at the ideal temperature has many effects on our daily life. It is a well-known fact that a good sleep makes us healthier but what has been observed, is that with a better health it also increases focus and affects the memory and makes remembering things easier. Thanks to the advancement in technology and science that we know a great deal more about sleep than we used to. The advancement has helped scientists study an average humans sleep pattern by tracking their brain activity, blood pressure and heart rate. That is how they have come up with the optimal temperature. So, the tip is if you can’t sleep properly, listen to the researchers and keep the room temperature in the ideal range. The way you end your last day will affect today.