A cool and comfy environment is vital for a healthy night’s sleep. The reason is that your body temperature drops while sleeping. Hence a cool room will prove helpful to maintain good sleep. As the room’s temperature determines the quality of sleep, HVAC systems are installed in every household to maintain a comfortable environment. Hence, you must know which is the best optimal sleep temperature.
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Best Temperature for Sleep
Keeping aside the varied geographical areas and temperature differences across the world, the ideal temperature for sleep range varies from 60 to 67o F. In this technology-driven world, there are smart AC regulators available that automatically help maintain desired temperatures.
When we talk about the best temperature for sleep, the major influences include location, time of year, home structure, and personal likings. For instance, during the winter months, the preferred temperature is around 67o F. While in summers, lower temperatures are more comfortable.
While defining perfect temperatures for sleep, the home design also plays an essential role. If your bedroom is positioned in the upper portion, the desired temperature would further drop as upper portions are usually warmer than downstairs.
The difference between the external and internal temperature should not be very huge. Health issues like insomnia are also associated with temperature changes in the bedroom. So, you must always set a comfortable temperature in your home before sleeping.
The Impacts of High External Temperature on Sleep
Higher temperatures are not recommended for sleeping as it causes distress and anxiety. A person who sleeps in airless space experiences excessive sweat and dehydration, which disturbs sleep.
Apart from this, warmer temperatures can also affect the human body’s thermoregulation capabilities, leading to tiredness. An exhausted person usually feels physically and mentally tired, which hinders a good night’s sleep.
Body temperature influences a person’s ability to sleep and their sleep quality during sleep stages. A higher core body temperature is linked to a reduction in soothing slow-wave sleep. Likewise, a greater temperature variation between the body and boundaries specifies that the body is not competent at emitting heat. This leads to a compromised sleep efficiency and the probability of waking up during the night.
During REM sleep, the body stops the majority of the temperature regulation activities like perspiration and shaking. This makes you more subtle to optimum environment temperature variations. Hence, hot room air temperatures have been proved to reduce the allocated time for REM sleep.
Fatigue decreased REM sleep duration, and slow-wave sleep can adversely impact your body’s recovery, immunity, learning ability, memorizing capacity, and other bodily processes.
Research shows that a cold ambient temperature is not considered harmful as a warm one, but this can also lead to discomfort and complicate REM sleep duration and blood pressure.
How Can You Maintain Ideal Room Temperature?
Some of the best tips that will help keep your temperature cool include:
- Unrolling the blinds or curtains to decrease heat build-up during the day
- Try sleeping in rooms located downstairs during the summer season
- Use fans and ACs if you live-in regions with a hot climate. Regular HVAC maintenance and ductwork cleaning are essential to maintain the ideal temperature. For this, you should opt for Air Duct Cleaning in Marietta. Use hot water bottles during winter nights
- Open windows to improve air circulation
- Regulate room’s humidity levels
- Wear loose clothing and sleep on breathable mattresses, bedsheets, comforter, quilt, and pillow
- Take a warm bath at least one to two hours before sleeping so that your body can cool down naturally
How to Keep Your Body Cool?
Apart from adjusting your room temperatures before sleeping, you should also prepare your body for a peaceful sleep. It would help if you lowered your internal thermostat. Your body temperature can be directly impacted by light intensities, diet, exercise routines, and such activities’ timing. This can lead to sleepiness. Apart from this, sleep hygiene habits, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and choosing a peaceful environment for sleep are some useful habits to adopt.
Best Ambient Temperature for Pets
Like humans, pets also require a certain temperature range to enjoy a peaceful sleep. This temperature is determined by the pet’s skin, fur intensity, breed, and lifestyle.
As there is no single temperature that can be perfect for all pets, we should set the temperature between 75 – 78 o F during summers. A larger breed of dogs will be comfortable in 75 o F, while older cats can enjoy a peaceful sleep at 78 o F during the winter season. And during summers, 69 – 72 o F is best.
Perfect Room Temperature for Infants
Infants are susceptible to external temperature changes. Hence, it is essential to provide the perfect environment for sleep. A hotter environment makes infants more susceptible to SIDS. Studies show that 65 – 68 o F temperature is ideal for babies.
Ideal Ambient Temperature for Old Age People
Elderly people are weak and vulnerable to getting sick as a result of slight temperature differences. The ideal temperature ranges from 68 – 74 o F for people aged 65 and above. If the room temperature drops down from 65 o F, there is a greater risk of contracting respiratory illnesses and hypothermia (if the contact is lengthy). This is specifically true for people suffering from heart and lung disorders.
Conclusion
As per the USA Department of Energy, AC consumes almost 6% of a household’s total energy usage. For the majority of the homeowners, ACs take-up 25% of their entire energy expenses. Hence, it is imperative to have control over your home temperatures. You can use smart controllers to monitor and regulate your HVAC temperatures when not at home.
While external temperature impacts your health and wellbeing, good air quality is also essential. Sometimes high humidity levels can lead to mold development within HVAC ductwork, which can be detrimental to health. If you experience a musty smell, you must call a professional for Mold Air Duct Cleaning in Marietta.
