What Occurs in Your Body When You Slumber in a Chilly Room Every Night
Sleep is crucial for overall health and vitality—and studies indicate that snoozing in cooler conditions of approximately 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit could enhance your health even further.123 From achieving superior sleep quality to uplifting your mood, here are some potential advantages of resting in a cold environment.
1. Your Sleep Quality Might Get Better
While research indicates that many individuals struggle to sleep as temperatures rise, dozing in a cooler room might assist you in attaining more, higher quality sleep.3 The lower temperature encourages the release of melatonin (a hormone that signals it’s time to rest), allowing you to drift off and remain asleep, potentially improving overall sleep quality.45
2. You Could Drift Off More Quickly
Your core body temperature naturally decreases when you prepare to sleep—thus, being in cooler conditions can aid in this process by signaling to your body faster that it’s time for rest. This may promote quicker sleep onset, as studies reveal that warmer surroundings can prolong the duration it takes to fall asleep.62
3. It Might Assist in Managing Night Sweats
Night sweats and hot flashes (common in individuals nearing menopause) can disturb slumber. Maintaining a cooler bedroom temperature might facilitate better rest.7
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4. Your Diabetes Risk Might Be Lowered
Keeping your thermostat low overnight may help avert metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. Research shows that lower temperatures boost metabolism—particularly by improving calorie expenditure and increasing the quantity of brown fat, also known as “good” fat. This can subsequently lead to improved insulin sensitivity within the body.8
Insulin sensitivity pertains to how effectively your body reacts to insulin, transporting blood glucose into cells to generate energy. Individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes exhibit diminished insulin sensitivity, causing elevated blood glucose levels.
5. You Could Promote Anti-Aging Mechanisms in the Body
In addition to regulating sleep, melatonin acts as an antioxidant that supports the process of slowing down aging. Since slumbering in a cooler environment can foster melatonin production, it's possible that the body’s overall anti-aging endeavors might be enhanced.9104
What Are Possible Downsides of Sleeping in Cooler Conditions?
Resting in chilly surroundings may have drawbacks:11
- Temperature preference: For certain individuals, feeling chilled while sleeping may detrimentally influence their sleep quality due to individual thermal perception (a person's comfort level in response to environmental temperatures).11
- Specific health issues: Studies suggest that for individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cold air can trigger lung inflammation and impede circulation in the body.12
What Other Practices Can Enhance Your Sleep?
In addition to sleeping in a cooler space, experts advise the following strategies to bolster sleep hygiene:
- Adopt a nighttime routine, gradually winding down and going to sleep at the same time nightly.
- Restrict large meals, alcohol, and caffeine during the evening, as your body needs energy to digest food and process substances or stimulants.
- Consider exercising in the morning, since working out too close to bedtime can stimulate the mind and body.
- Minimize blue light exposure in the evening (from phones and computer displays) as much as possible. Blue light can upset the body's natural sleep-wake rhythm.
- Ensure the bedroom is dark by utilizing blackout shades or curtains to facilitate melatonin production.
If you discover that adjusting your lifestyle and environment isn’t improving your sleep, consult a healthcare provider. They can recommend a sleep regimen and suggest over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids or prescribe treatment if necessary.
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