How Does Ambient Room Temperature Affect the Quality of Your Sleep and What can be Done to Ensure a Good Night's Sleep?
If you have ever tried to fall asleep when the ambient temperature is a toasty 80 degrees you've likely discovered it is not so easy to fall asleep and/or stay asleep. The same exact statement can be made if it is too cold in a room. Additionally, the ideal sleeping temperature can be impacted on how you sleep - meaning are you a hot or cold sleeper. For example, I'm typically a warm sleeper - meaning I prefer a cooler bedroom temperature - if you have a partner - that partner might be a cold sleeper - meaning that they prefer a warmer bedroom temperature. If that is the case, what can be done? Well the answers are hopefully in this blog - as I plan to discuss how temperature affects sleep and what can be done if you and your partner simply do not agree on the where to set the thermostat.
How Does Temperature Affect Sleep Quality:
The external environment relies a ton of information regarding wake-sleep cycles. Historically our ancestors would have been awake during the day and would have slept during the night. Our modern lifestyles of today do not always allow these normal wake-sleep cycles to occur - for example healthcare workers working an "overnight" or those who work a 3rd shift. Additionally, modern societies are both blessed and cursed with the modern advances that have occurred over the past couple decades. While these technological advances have resulted in medical, social, environmental and other types of advances i.e. improved safety - these same technological advances have provided us with many possible substances that can disrupt sleep.
Warmth is one of the most basic human needs and humans have not always been so lucky to head over to the thermostat and choose a temperature that matches their preference. The desire for warmth can be dated back as early as 1,900,000 BC - when archaeologists believe that people first began to use fire in a controlled fashion - meaning they created central fires in dwellings that had openings in the roof for smoke to escape. There were about 14 different ways of heating between then and the first rudimentary boiler system created in the late 1700s. It wasn't until the mid 1900s when heating became what it is today - and advances almost daily continue to enhance the efficacy of these systems. Now let's circle back around the the thermostat that is contained within almost every primary residence of today.
Between 60 and 67 Degrees
According to the National Sleep Foundation the ideal temperature for sleeping is 60-67 degrees - the range is fairly wide so it should be fairly easy to achieve the optimal temperature by properly heating or cooling your bedroom. However, if you and your partner simply can not agree - what can be done to address the issue? Today I am going to only recommend things that I have found in research and/or have tested out myself. Without further a-do let's jump right in.
3 Simple Ways to Improve Quality of Sleep
1) Wool Socks: You may be wondering how wool socks will help you sleep better so I'll explain. Wool socks cause your blood vessels to dilate, allowing your internal thermostat to achieve a more ideal temperature. In the simplest of terms when blood vessels dilate, internal body heat is transferred to ambient environment via conduction. My personal favorite is a merino wool socks, companies such as smartwool and darn tough make a great product that are great for daytime and nighttime use.
2) Breathable sheets: Layers of bedding in the winter months may seem cozy at first glance, but they could be a recipe for a warm/hot night of sleep. By choosing materials that are breathable such as natural fibers i.e. cotton, you'll be choosing materials that are more likely to allow you to regulate temperature. Yet again, if you are an individual who shares a bed with an someone who sleeps with 5 blankets, the breathable fibers will likely not be able to breath as effectively leading to heat being trapped . In a case similar to the one above you may need to rely on pricey equipment, such as a the Chilipad or Sleep Eight. I've never tested these products so I can not speak directly on their effectiveness. However, if you perform a quick Google search, you will find many people who recommend these products.
3) Time exercise properly: Regular exercise is beneficial for proper wake and sleep cycles. However, timing and intensity matters. If you've ever headed outside for a run on a cold winter day, you've likely noticed that it did not take long for you to begin shedding layers. On the other hand, if you head out for the slow walk on the same day, you likely wouldn’t have shed any layers. In summary, light activity before bed should not increase core temperature thus allowing you to fall asleep easily as well as maintain a cool sleeping temperature. While moderate or vigorous activity will likely lead to a suppression of melatonin leading to greater sleep latency as well as sleeping "hot" due to increased core temperature.
Bonus *
4) Breathable mattress: As someone who has a tendency to sleep warm even with minimal blankets, a breathable mattress is a must have for me. I feel it is pertinent to add that I've slept on 300+ mattresses (as I traveled for work for 6 years), and my favorite mattress is the one I own, a Purple. Even after approximately 7 years, I can say that I still love my mattress. I've only had a couple of nights where I've slept "warm/hot". Additionally I've had minimal musculoskeletal issues, which is a big win in my book. There are dozens of companies that exist that are similar to Purple, and most offer a 90-120 night "test run", so if your in the market for a new mattress be sure to find something that sleeps cool, the extra money spent is well worth it. The National Sleep Foundation does provide yearly recommendations regarding cooling mattresses, so if you are a warm/hot sleeper, it might be worth looking at their recommendations prior to purchasing a new mattress.
The 4 recommendations above only skim the surface when it comes to possible solutions to address sleeping temperature. By far the easiest and most simple is to set the thermostat between the 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. For some this is not possible due for a number of reasons - but before heading out to purchase expensive products in the hope of discovering a good night's sleep, it might be worth trying some of the simple recommendations above. If you have any tips or tricks you would like to share, please comment below.
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North Shore Acupuncture and Natural Medicine is an acupuncture clinic in Beverly, MA. We utilize acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and natural medicine to restore optimal health and wellness. Employing traditional and modern approaches to enhance your health and longevity.
