Best Temperature for Sleep
As the temperature begins to dip, most of us love to curl up in our warm beds at the end of each day. However, despite having the coziest duvet, falling to sleep can be a real problem as the nights get colder. You will be surprised to know that your bedroom temperature has an effect on your body and how well you sleep. And, there is a lot you can do to ensure your bedroom is the perfect setting for a restful night of sleep.
Many sleep experts opine that a cool room, makes for the best sleep, and there are several studies that backs this notion. Today, we throw light on why the right temperature helps you sleep better. During the course of the day, the body’s temperature tends to rise and fall a tad bit, so as to conserve energy. This is observed even during your sleep cycle. The body temperature dips as you begin to get drowsy, and hits its lowest, as the clock strikes 5.00 am, and again rises slightly as the sun begins to rise.
The temperature you sleep in, and how comfortable you feel in your bedroom, affects how long and how well you sleep. If the air in your bedroom, is too hot, it can interfere with the body’s natural dip in temperature and make you restless and toss and turn through the night. A number of studies indicate that various forms of insomnia are in fact associated with improper regulation in your body’s temperature.
Too hot and you won’t sleep
Experts who have researched sleep and sleep patterns suggest that the optimal temperature your room should be at is between 16 and 21 degrees Celsius. It the room temperature is above 24 degrees Celsius or below 12 degrees you are bound to struggle to fall asleep.
Your brain tries to arrive at a sleeping body temperature that is a few degrees below your waking temperature. The first dip in temperature happens just before you drift into dreamland, and this is the reason why many find it a lot easier to sleep in a cooler room, than in a room that is too warm. This is why it is important to cool off to drift off! Turn down the temperature in your room and you will be transported into the world of dreams in no time at all.
Deep Sleep
As you begin to get into the non-REM first stages of sleep, your body temperature is regulated at a steady level a tad bit lower than waking. During your deepest period of sleep also known as REM sleep, your body temperature falls to its lowest. In short, getting your body temperature cooler is instrumental in the amount of deep sleep (REM sleep) that you can enjoy. According to a sleep experiment that monitored the sleep patterns of patients suffering from acute sleep apnea, their sleep quality improved dramatically as the temperature in the room was lowered from 24 degrees to 16 degrees. Also, the cooler temperature subjects slept a lot longer than their counterparts and felt more refreshed in the morning after having slept in a colder environment.
So, if you are feeling too hot and have trouble falling asleep, you can follow the tips listed below to cool down and sleep better.
Spread Out. This may sound weird, but does help. Keep your limbs away from each other, so as to minimize the transfer of heat through your body.
Invest in the right mattress. Your mattress plays an important role in how well you sleep. Materials such as memory foam tends to retain heat and sleeps much hotter than other materials. Go in for a mattress that is made from materials such as micro-coils and polyurethane foam that allow higher airflow.
Use cooling sheets and pillows. Come summer, it is time to switch to cotton sheets, especially if you have sleep woes. Cotton is breathable and promotes air flow. Pillows with special cooling covers too can aid in better sleep.
Sleeping in colder temperatures also has several health benefits. Studies indicate that sleeping in a cold room can help with not just insomnia but also boosts metabolism.
