Get The Right Temperature For A Great Nights Sleep

The right temperature

sleep-guide Temperature is important when trying to get a good night’s sleep, as a room that is too hot will prevent your core temperature from going down, which is essential for switching on the ‘sleep mechanism’. When you sleep, your body’s temperature drops to its lowest level, which usually occurs around 3-4 hours after you fall asleep, so keeping your bedroom cool may lead to better sleep.

If you can, and it is safe to do so, leave a window slightly open when you sleep so that air can circulate around the room. If you’re on the ground floor, consider a security grill on the window. Try not to leave a heater or the central heating on as this can be dehydrating and wake you up. Instead go for a warmer duvet.

A room that is too cold can also hinder sleep, and can be a danger for the very young or very old. It’s a good idea to get a room thermometer to ensure the right temperature range in which to sleep. Ideally your bedroom should be around 18-21 degrees C.

Keep your extremities warm

Although your bedroom should be cool to induce restful sleep, your hands and feet shouldn’t be. Thermoregulation is the body’s heat distribution system, and lying down redistributes heat to the extremities – your hands and feet. Studies have found that cold hands and feet are associated with sleeplessness. If you find that you suffer from cold feet, increase the temperature of your cold feet by using a hot water bottle, rather than bed socks.

Get rid of the gadgets

It’s important that your bedroom is associated only with sleep primarily which means moving the television, computer, work area, pile of books and magazines, and anything else that may distract you from sleep. A radio is fine for the morning but try to keep it off at night time, where it engages your brain and activates the mind. There’s also the danger that you may fall asleep with the radio on, and it may wake you up during the night whilst you’re in one of the lighter sleep cycles.

Check Your Bedding

If you become either too hot or too cold during the night, you’ll probably wake up, so it’s important to check your bedding or duvet. The warmth or heaviness of a duvet is measured in togs – the lower the tog the lighter and cooler the duvet, and the higher the tog, the heavier and warmer the duvet. You can buy all-season duvets which combine a lightweight and medium duvet that you can separate for the warmer months and join together for cold winter months. If you share a bed with a partner, consider having a duvet larger than the size of your bed, or even two separate duvets, especially if you have a preference for different levels of warmth.

Probably as important to your comfort as tog, is the composition of your duvet. Natural materials such as cotton, wool and down will guarantee you a better nights’ sleep than polyester, nylon and other man-made fibres. You will pay a little more, however the investment will be worth it and they’ll probably last longer.