We all value getting a good night’s rest. These days, there are so many things working against it, including bright lights, electronic screens, noise, and worries about what’s going to happen at work or school the next day. Plus, it turns out that we may be maintaining the wrong temperature to promote good sleep. Want to know how to set the best sleep temperature in your home? Read on.
Why Sleep Temperature Matters
It turns out that there is an optimum temperature range to promote good, restful sleep — that is, sleep that enters the deep, dreaming state, with rapid eye movement (REM). This is the satisfying, restorative state that we all need to promote good mental and physical health. The best sleep temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees.
This cooler temperature promotes the production of melatonin, an enzyme that helps us sleep — and which declines in later years. While some people take melatonin to promote sleep, it’s not proven that it helps, and it may also do some harm. So it’s far better to maintain a lower temperature in your home during the evening hours.
A bedroom temperature above 70 degrees is too hot. It will disrupt the initiatory stages of sleep, which help promote entrance into REM.
On the other hand, a bedroom that is below 60 degrees can also lead to sleep problems. Colder temperatures cause constricted blood vessels, breathing becomes shallow, and the cardiovascular system gets stressed as it tries to regulate body temperature.
Promoting Good Sleep
Other than setting your thermostat to maintain your house temperature between 60 and 67 degrees, what can you do to promote good sleep? Try the following:
- Use a fan if it seems too warm in your room at night.
- Turn off all lights. Close the blinds. Maintain a dark room.
- Turn off the TV or other electronic devices.
- Refrain from drinking caffeine or consuming sugar after the middle of the afternoon. Caffeine will keep you awake, while sugar will give you a jolt in the middle of the night.
For more on sleep temperature, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company.
