What is the best temperature to sleep in? | Hartford HealthCare

July 23, 2024

If you find yourself fighting over the thermostat setting every night, we have good news: there is a clear winner.

We asked Pantcho G. Maslinski, a sleep specialist at the Ayer Neuroscience Institute Sleep Center at Hartford HealthCare at Windham Hospital, what the ideal temperature is for sleeping.

This is how temperature affects your sleep quality.

After sunset, your body prepares itself for rest. And part of that process is cooling itself down.

“Our body temperature follows a daily rhythm,” Dr. Maslinski explains. “When it’s bedtime, a drop in core and brain temperature helps signal that it’s time to go to sleep.”

When our temperatures drop, a few other important things happen:

Melatonin increases as body temperature drops, causing a feeling of sleepiness.
The blood vessels in your hands and feet dilate, cooling your core and helping you sleep better.
Blood flow continues to adjust to regulate body temperature.

And what if something goes wrong?

“Temperature has a huge impact on how well we sleep,” says Dr. Maslinski. “Disrupting this temperature cycle can lead to insomnia.”

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Does the perfect temperature exist?

The answer is short and sweet: yes.

“Keeping your sleep environment cool is essential for a good night’s sleep,” explains Dr. Maslinski. “Your body naturally cools down before and during sleep, so maintaining this process will help you sleep better.”

Do you need actual numbers?

These are the ideal temperatures for a good night’s sleep:

The best room temperature for sleeping is between 19 and 22°C.
During your sleep, your skin should ideally have a temperature of 31 to 35°C.
The temperature under your duvet should be around 32 to 34°C, with a humidity of 40 to 60%.

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Heat affects your sleep in several ways.

Although we all like to be nice and warm at night, it might be wise to think twice about an extra duvet.

“Your body doesn’t adjust to sleeping in a warm environment, even after several days,” says Dr. Maslinski.

Heat can negatively affect your sleep in several ways, including:

Wake up more often
Less REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, crucial for dreaming and cognitive functions.
If you don’t get enough deep sleep, it’s hard to feel rested in the morning.

And those sultry summer nights can be extra disruptive.

“Moist heat makes it harder to sleep because it disrupts your body’s ability to effectively regulate temperature and sweat,” adds Dr. Maslinski.

Stay cool (but don’t forget blankets).

Research shows that sleeping at temperatures between 13°C and 23°C, provided you use the right bedding, has no effect on sleep quality.

“Even if you don’t feel like the cold is disrupting your sleep, it can still affect your cardiovascular system,” Dr. Maslinski warns.

Keep your home temperature above 10°C in winter and stay comfortable all year round with the right bedding.

4 tips to get enough sleep.

Sleep is essential for our health, in several ways.

“Poor sleep at night doesn’t just affect your daytime activities,” says Dr. Maslinski. “It’s also linked to health problems like obesity, decreased quality of life, and even increased mortality.”

If you’re having trouble sleeping, skip the counting sheep and try these tips from Dr. Maslinski:

Take a warm bath before bed (but not right before) to fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality.
Use bedding and sleepwear that keep your skin temperature stable by trapping heat when it’s cold and allowing sweat to evaporate when it’s hot.
If air conditioning is limited, use it during the first part of the night to reduce the impact of the heat.
If you’re feeling restless, you can add some background noise to the mix.

Still can’t fall asleep?

A comfortable sleeping environment is one piece of the puzzle, but it is not the whole picture.

“If you’re having trouble sleeping, see your doctor,” Dr. Maslinski advises. “We can help you figure out the cause and get you on the road to better sleep.”