If you’re having trouble sleeping lately, you’re not alone. Whether it’s caused by the disruption in our daily lives, anxious thoughts or nightmares – many people are experiencing restless nights right now. While a lot of things are beyond your control these days, as it turns out, there are a few controllable factors that may be affecting your sleep; like the temperature of your room.
The experts that were consulted on what the optimal temperature should be, also suggested other ways to promote a restful night.
Why does temperature affect sleep?
Sleep and temperature are connected through the human body clock, or circadian rhythm. The core body temperature decreases during the sleep phase and increases during the wake phase.
What is the best temperature for sleep?
Lowering the temperature of your room a few hours before bed may initiate your body’s cool-down process, which prepares you for sleep. The optimal temperature for sleep is considered 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). However, anything in the high 60s (above 15.5 Celsius) could work.
In the spring and fall, opening the window could work, but an overhead fan or a tower fan should definitely be considered.
There are apparently mattress pads, pillows and bedsheets which incorporate cooling technology.
But room temperature isn’t the only way to optimize your sleep. Here are some suggestions.
Ways to get better sleep:
- Add supplements to your nightly routine
Everyone in todays stressed-out society could benefit from consuming more magnesium. Doctors suggest that magnesium glycinate, in particular, can help promote relaxation and is therefore often recommended as a natural sleep aid.
- Take time to exercise during the day.
Even if it’s just 30 minutes per day, exercise is very good for sleep. It results in physical fatigue, which can deepen sleep, and it also helps manage stress.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.
Caffeine is a stimulant and therefore interferes with quality sleep. One study recommends quitting caffeine at least six hours before bedtime for optimal sleep.
On the other hand, alcohol – while not a stimulant, will disrupt the quality of your sleep, making you feel more tired the next day.
Instead, drinking calming herbal teas, like chamomile will promote relaxation before bed.
Bottom line
Since sleep and immunity are connected, getting quality sleep is more critical now than ever. Regulating your thermal environment to around 65 degrees (18 degrees C) may be one simple but effective trick to getting better sleep. If that’s not doable, though, there are plenty of practices to support a good night’s rest; look at some of my previous posts on “sleep”.
That’s it for now; see you all the next time.
