Do you lie awake at night tossing and turning? There are plenty of tips and tricks for getting a good night’s sleep, but one of the simplest may be in how you set your thermostat. Here’s how a programmable or smart thermostat can help regulate your body’s sleep temperature — and save energy to boot.
Your Body’s Sleep Temperature
As you fall asleep, your body temperature cools slightly. Studies have shown that a cooler environment can help prepare your body for sleep, allowing you to drift off faster and sleep more soundly. Melatonin is a factor as well. A hormone produced in the brain as it gets dark, melatonin helps regulate your sleep cycle. A cooler sleep temperature has also been found to help with melatonin production.
Conversely, warmer temperatures have been shown to disrupt the sleep cycle. If your bedroom is too warm, it can not only take longer to get to sleep, it can also make your sleep less restful, interfering with both slow-wave sleep and your REM cycle.
A Programmable Thermostat for Sleep
According to experts, the ideal room temperature to help you sleep is around 65 degrees. This can vary from person to person, but as a general rule, anywhere between 60 and 72 degrees is the sweet spot. For children and the elderly, keep it closer to between 65 and 68 degrees, as more extreme temperatures can be disruptive to their health.
A programmable thermostat lets you set your preferred sleep temperature to kick in automatically, right around bedtime, to help regulate your sleep cycle through the night. This lower temperature can also help you save energy and reduce the strain on your HVAC system.
Then, a few minutes before your alarm goes off, it switches back to comfort mode, signaling to your body that it’s time to wake up. The warmer temperature allows you to awaken more naturally so that you’re well rested and ready to start the day.
For help getting the ideal temperature for your home at any time of day, contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We provide quality home-comfort solutions to Yuma and the surrounding area.
