Sleeping in a cold room might not seem like a big deal, but it can actually have some serious health benefits. According to sleep experts, the temperature of your bedroom plays a huge role in how well you sleep at night. Dr. Kelvas explains that if your room is either too hot or too cold, it can throw off your hormones. When your hormones are out of balance, it makes it much harder to get a good night’s sleep.
That’s why it’s important to find the right temperature to help your body relax. The Sleep Foundation recommends setting your bedroom temperature somewhere between 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius) and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). This range seems to be the sweet spot for most people when it comes to falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer.
Your body temperature naturally starts to drop about two hours before you go to bed. This drop signals your body that it’s time to wind down and get ready for rest. Dr. Valerie Cacho explains that when you sleep in a cooler room, it actually helps your body produce more melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy. It not only helps you fall asleep but also helps you stay asleep through the night.
On the flip side, if your room is too warm, you may have trouble reaching the deeper stages of sleep, like REM sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS). REM sleep is when you have most of your dreams, and slow-wave sleep is when your body does the hard work of healing and restoring itself. A room that’s too warm can disrupt both of these important stages of sleep by causing you to wake up more often throughout the night.
This can leave you feeling tired and groggy the next day, even if you thought you got enough hours of sleep. But the benefits of sleeping in a cooler room don’t stop there. Some studies suggest that cooler sleeping temperatures can even help with weight control. That’s because being in a cooler environment activates something called brown fat. Brown fat is different from the regular fat you might be thinking of.
It actually burns calories to generate heat and keep your body warm. When your brown fat is active, it helps boost your metabolism and burns more calories, even while you sleep. Over time, this could potentially lower your risk of developing metabolic problems like type 2 diabetes. In addition to supporting healthy metabolism, sleeping in a cooler room allows your body to cycle through all the important stages of sleep more smoothly.
This makes a big difference in your overall health and wellness. Quality sleep helps your immune system stay strong, improves memory, boosts your mood, and can even make your skin look better. If you don’t have a thermostat in your home, there are still ways you can cool down before bed. One of the easiest tricks is to take a warm bath or shower about an hour before you plan to go to sleep. This might sound strange, but warming up your body in the bath or shower causes your core temperature to drop afterward, which signals to your body that it’s time to rest. Another helpful tip is to make sure your bedding and pajamas are lightweight and breathable.
Avoid heavy blankets unless it’s absolutely necessary. You can also crack a window open or use a fan to circulate air and keep things cooler in your bedroom. Developing a consistent bedtime routine that includes keeping your room cool can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep. The better you sleep, the better you’ll feel during the day. You’ll have more energy, better focus, and a stronger immune system. Over time, these small changes can add up to major health benefits. So, if you’ve been struggling to get good sleep, try turning down the thermostat or finding other ways to cool down your sleeping environment. It could be just the change you need to start feeling healthier and more refreshed every morning.
