Want to improve your quality of sleep? Repairing or installing a new HVAC system might be the solution. Call At Georgia Air Cooling & Heating at 912-513-3756!
Knowing the best temperature to sleep at can make a huge difference in your nightly routine. If you constantly fight with your thermostat to find the ideal temperature for sleep, you’re far from being alone.
Although everybody is different, the best temperature to sleep at ranges from 60 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 to 22 degrees Celsius. However, a couple of factors can affect the ideal temperature, which we’ll cover.
One drawback of sleeping at a cool temperature is that your energy bill tends to rise. However, some ways to cool your home or room don’t involve cranking the AC.
This guide will explore everything you need to know about temperature, how it affects sleep, and how you can cool your home while reducing your energy bills. Our air conditioner repair company in Savannah, GA, can also help!
What Precisely Is the Optimal Temperature Range for Sleeping?
Everybody’s temperature is different, and there’s nothing wrong with preferring a hotter or cooler room for sleeping. However, the average temperature is 65 degrees, with only a few degrees difference between most individuals.
Doctors recommend their patients sleep in a cool room between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
This preference is because our bodies naturally experience a dip in temperature during the evening. So turning the thermostat down can help indicate to your body that it’s time for sleep. One factor that can influence a person’s sleeping preference is age.
Adults’ preferences range from 60 to 72 degrees, while elderly residents prefer 66 to 70 degrees. This sweet spot sits between 65 to 70 degrees for babies and toddlers.
It’s important to note, too, that babies and toddlers should typically sleep in their preferred range because their small and developing bodies remain more susceptible to external or ambient temperature.
Research suggests that babies don’t develop the ability to maintain their core body temperature until they’re 11 weeks old. So while an adult might feel groggy or tired after sleeping in a hot room, a baby can suffer from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
How Does Temperature Influence Our Sleep?
Circadian rhythm controls our sleep functionality based on the sun’s light and dark cycles. Our suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in our hypothalamus, operates our circadian rhythm, acting as a biological clock. This biological clock faces influence from outside factors like:
- Light exposure
- Physical activity like exercise
- Temperatures
A person’s core body temperature sits around 98.6 degrees but typically moves back and forth by two degrees throughout the night.
Your body will start dropping its temperature about two hours before sleeping as it releases melatonin. This decreasing temperature continues through the night. This process involves your body sending heat away from your body by increasing blood flow.
How Can Hot Bedrooms Become a Problem?
While the best temperature to sleep at can depend upon your personal preferences, most people don’t like sleeping in a hot bedroom.
A hot bedroom can immediately trigger restlessness and discomfort in a person, even if they’re physically and mentally exhausted. A hot bedroom also means a room feels stuffy and humid, and a stuffy room contributes to a person becoming sweaty and dehydrated.
Besides affecting a person’s ability to fall asleep, a hot bedroom can also impact a person’s sleep quality. REM sleep is a critical sleeping stage where processes like brain development, memory processing, and dreaming occur.
During this sleeping stage, however, your body undergoes the least temperature regulation. This decrease in temperature regulations makes you more susceptible to external or ambient temperatures. As a result, you’re more likely to start sweating or shivering during REM.
A decrease in sleep quality has deeper impacts than simply making you feel tired the next day. For example, poor sleep influences your immune system and body’s ability to recover from injury. You can also see a decrease in processes like learning and memory management.
Can Your Bedroom Be Too Cold?
Cold temperatures can affect sleep in the same way that hot temperatures do. The best temperature to sleep at generally shouldn’t fall below 60 degrees, and you may need to make adjustments if you shiver in bed during winter.
Besides cranking up the heat, there are other methods you can use to keep yourself warm:
- Wear socks to keep your feet warm and cozy
- Drink something hot before bed, like a hot tea (but avoid ones with caffeine)
- Wear multiple layers of clothing and use numerous blankets
- Use an electric blanket
How Can You Remain Cool While Saving Energy?
No one likes to spend more on energy bills, but during Georgia’s hot months in the summer, you’re likely to see your energy bills start to skyrocket. However, there are some methods you can use to reduce your energy bills while remaining cool:
Dress Appropriately
Many people love wearing fuzzy pajamas to bed, but this attire might be overkill during the summer. Instead, try trading your normal bed clothes for looser clothing, like a pair of shorts, to see if that helps. Additionally, you can opt for a lighter blanket or comforter.
Use Fans
While fans still use electricity, they use less energy than an air conditioner. Many homes already have installed ceiling fans, but you can also buy stand-up fans and position them near your bed.
Close Your Blinds and Curtains
Closing your blinds, curtains, and windows can sometimes reduce heat build-up if the temperature outside your home is hotter than the temperature inside. This method is especially effective if you’re still using your air conditioner to cool your home.
Turn Off Lights and Electronics
While we don’t think of lights like lamps and electronics like TVs plugged in consuming much energy, they still increase your monthly bill. So while turning off lights and electronics won’t make or break your finances, they can be a factor.
Additionally, electronics turned on in your bedroom can impact sleep. As stated before, light exposure affects our circadian rhythm. Therefore, even a tiny light from a charger reduces your ability to fall asleep.
Open Your Windows Instead
Opening your windows can bring in cooler air while creating better ventilation. Many people are surprised by how cool the outside air can get during summer. Just ensure you don’t run your air conditioner when you open your windows.
Check For Any Leaks, Gaps, Holes, etc.
Cool or hot air can quickly escape through leaks, gaps, and holes inside your home. Cool air escapes and forces your HVAC system to work harder to keep a stable temperature. Common energy loss areas include:
- Around your windows and doors
- Inside your basement and attic
- Under your home’s foundation
- Where pipes and wires connect throughout your home
In the case of windows, sometimes upgrading to energy-efficient windows is the better solution than trying to caulk gaps. ENERGY STAR windows, for example, can translate into average annual energy savings of between $125 to $465.
Inspect Your Ductwork
Your ductwork can also be a significant source of energy losses. By sealing your ductwork and adding more insulation, you can prevent energy losses while keeping your home cooler.
Routinely Change Air Filters
Your HVAC system’s air filters are responsible for collecting pollutants like:
- Dust
- Smoke
- Pet dander
- Allergens
- Oil
Failure to routinely clean or change your air filters results in your HVAC system working harder. Besides spending more energy to cool or warm your home, your system will also see more wear and tear, translating into a shorter lifespan or expensive repairs or replacements.
When left alone, harmful pollutants can cause health risks, especially to individuals with asthma and allergies. Changing air filters also improves indoor air quality as your HVAC system won’t circulate harmful pollutants throughout your home.
Besides making it harder to breathe, raising humidity, and increasing restlessness, poor indoor air quality can also trigger mold growth.
Invest in a Smart Thermostat
The problem with manual thermostats is you need to adjust the settings yourself. It’s easy to forget to turn your air conditioner off when running some errands or going to work. However, a Smart or programmable thermostat resolves this issue.
A Wi-Fi-controlled thermostat lets you adjust temperatures wherever you are, and it can even learn your particular heating and cooling patterns.
Repair, Replace, or Upgrade Your HVAC System
It might be time to repair, replace, or upgrade your HVAC system if everything else fails. Our Georgia Air Cooling & Heating technicians can take a look and recommend options.
Improve Your Sleep With Georgia Air Cooling & Heating
Obtaining quality sleep is crucial to leading a healthy, normal lifestyle. However, cranking up the AC every night can cause energy bills to soar. Our Georgia Air Cooling & Heating can help you find the best temperature to sleep at without paying a fortune every month.
Discover why your house is colder than your thermostat setting and answers to other questions by calling Georgia Air Cooling & Heating at 912-513-3756!