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Doctor shares optimal bedroom temperature for the perfect night’s sleep
If you’re struggling to sleep or constantly waking up during the night, the temperature of the room could be the issue.
A bedroom that’s too hot or too cold can have disastrous effects on your rest, but what is the optimal sleeping temperature?
What is the optimal sleep temperature?
We asked NHS GP and sleep expert Dr. Hana Patel, who told The Focus: “One of the main factors that can affect sleep is room temperature – whether youre too hot or too cold.”
“Even being slightly outside of the key temperature range of 15-23�C can make us more likely to wake up during the night,” she continued.
Sleep temperature is personal, with some enjoying a warmer room and others preferring to be slightly cooler. However, anything between 15 and 23�C (59 to 73�F) is generally considered ideal.
A bedroom that is hotter or colder than this range can reduce the amount of REM and slow-wave sleep we get each night, leaving us feeling fatigued.
“If you struggle with symptoms such as night sweats, keep your bedroom below 20 degrees for a cool sleeping climate,” the doctor added.
Why your bedroom temperature matters
For most people, cooler is better, and a bedroom temperature of 18.3�C is optimal, Sleep Foundation reveals. This drop in temperature plays an important role in telling our body that it’s time to go to sleep.
During the night, our core temperature drops around 2�F in total which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it’s quite a drastic change. This drop begins around two hours before we go to sleep, and coincides with the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.
Our body temperature continues to fall until early in the morning and then gradually warms up again before we wake up. Lowering the thermostat at night can work with this natural temperature fluctuation to tell your body that it’s time for bed.
An overly hot bedroom is generally considered worse than one that’s too cold, but both can cause discomfort and have bad effects on REM sleep. Not getting enough REM sleep is what makes you feel groggy the next day.
Keep your bedroom cool by opening windows to let cold air in and closing curtains. In extremely warm weather, it may help to sleep downstairs as heat rises, meaning the upper levels of the home are usually hotter.
Dr. Hana Patel is a general practitioner for the NHS in Southeast London, who received her medical degree from the University of London. She is also a resident sleep expert at Time4Sleep.
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