Best Temperature for Sleeping

When it comes to creating a cozy and inviting bedroom, it is important to have the right sheets, blankets, and pillows. But what about your thermostat? Setting the right temperature for your sleep space is just as important as selecting the perfect comforter.

If you are hot or uncomfortable during the night, it can be difficult to fall asleep and maintain deep, restful sleep. For adults, most sleep experts agree the ideal temperature for your bedroom is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 and 19.4 degrees Celsius). A cooler environment allows the body to adjust its core temp naturally, so we can experience deep, restful sleep.

This article explains how temperature affects your sleep-wake cycle and what you can do to create a more comfortable bedroom.

How Temperature Affects Your Sleep

Throughout the day, your body’s internal temperature shifts. This is part of your natural circadian rhythm. When you are exposed to sunlight throughout most of the afternoon, your core temperature is on the warmer side. This slightly elevated temp helps keep you active and alert by reducing melatonin production and increasing the production of adrenaline and cortisol.

In the evening, when you are exposed to less light, your core body temperature states to cool down, and the production of melatonin increases, causing you to feel sleepy and ready for bed. As your body sheds warmth, the blood vessels in your skin expand, cooling you down. You may even notice that your hands and feet become warmer as heat leaves your body.

Once you fall asleep, your temperature continues to drop—reaching its lowest level around 5 am. As your temp falls throughout the night, you gradually sink into deeper sleep. When you wake up, your temperature will still be low, but it will gradually increase throughout the day.

If the temperature in your sleep space is either too warm or too cool, it could disrupt your circadian rhythm and the natural decrease of your core temperature, making it difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep. In fact, a 2012 study shows that most people experience sleep disruptions during the hot summer months when it is more difficult to keep your sleep space cool.

Over time, sleeping in a room that is either too hot or too cold could lead to sleep deprivation and a hormonal imbalance that affects your sleep schedule, metabolism, and immune function.

Too Hot or Too Cold

While changes to your core body temperature can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm, a room temperature that is too hot may affect your sleep differently than a room that is too cold. Below, we outline how these different temperatures may impact your sleep.

Too Hot

When a room is too hot and stuffy, we tend to feel restless. If we eventually fall asleep, we may toss and turn throughout the night and wake up feeling groggy and unrested. Night sweats can also cause us to wake in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep.

This is because a warmer environment can decrease our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, also known as slow wave sleep. The REM sleep cycle is responsible for several important functions, including memory consolidation, muscle repair, and boosting the immune system. Without enough REM sleep, we often feel unfocused, sluggish, and tired the next day.

Too Cold

In most cases, cooler temperatures do not affect sleep quality. However, if you are too cold, you may be uncomfortable and find it difficult to fall asleep. Cool temperatures can also affect your cardiac autonomic response, meaning that your heart rate may become elevated, making it harder for you to relax.

Ways to Keep Your Bedroom Cool

Below, we outline other steps you can take to keep your bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Set the thermostat in your home to automatically lower in the evening. When the sun goes down, the temperature in your home should also lower to 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In the summer months, consider turning on your air conditioner and using a fan to keep air circulating. If it is cooler outside than inside your home, you can also open a window to let in cool air.
• In the winter, use warm yet breathable bedding to reduce overheating. In the summer, use lightweight blankets and sheets made with absorbent and moisture-wicking materials, such as cotton and microfiber.
• If you are a hot sleeper, a cooling mattress will retain less heat and moisture to prevent overheating and night sweats. Memory foam and hybrid beds with plant-based and gel-infused foam retain less heat. These materials are naturally breathable and dispel body heat quickly, keeping the mattress cool and inviting.

Frequently Asked Question

Can a hot shower raise body temperature?

Yes. A hot shower can raise your core body temperature, and a cool shower can help lower it. If you have trouble waking up in the morning, a warm shower can increase your body temp and raise your cortisol levels, helping you feel more alert. To improve your sleep quality, you can take a cooler shower in the evening to naturally lower your body temperature and increase melatonin levels.

Stretching exercises and cardio workouts early in the morning will also naturally raise your core body temperature and help you feel more awake and focused throughout the day. However, working out right before bed can keep your body temp high and make it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

Do you sleep better with socks on?

Going to bed with socks on can help signal your body that it is time to sleep. Although your core body temperature increases at night, feeling warm and cozy can help you relax and fall asleep quickly. However, if you sleep hot or live in a warm climate, you may want to avoid wearing socks to bed to prevent overheating.

Does your body temperature go up at night?

No. In fact, your body temperature naturally decreases at night. A lower temperature helps the mind and body prepare for sleep and triggers the production of hormones, such as melatonin, that help you fall asleep faster and rest soundly throughout the night.

What is the best sleeping temperature for a baby?

Babies also sleep comfortably in a cool room between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. However, since babies sleep with fewer blankets to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), they cannot warm themselves the way adults can. Therefore, babies should be properly clothed, so they do not become too cold.

However, because overheating can increase the risk of SIDS, it is important not to overdress your baby for sleep or surround them with too much bedding.

Do you sleep better in the dark?

Melatonin, the sleep hormone, is triggered by light. During the way, when we are exposed to sunlight, melatonin decreases to keep us alert. However, in the late afternoon and evening, as light exposure decreases, melatonin increases to help us fall asleep.

If there is too much light in our sleep space, it may interfere with our natural melatonin production and disrupt our sleep. In most cases, a dark room will promote deeper sleep and prevent nighttime disruptions.

Conclusion

Keeping your bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit will help reduce the risk of sleep disruptions, make it easier to relax before bed, and ensure better quality sleep. While setting your thermostat can help keep your sleep space cool, it is also important to surround yourself with soft, lightweight, and breathable bedding.