Sleep is vital for your health but getting a good night of it isn’t something we can all easily obtain. A lot of people actually struggle to sleep at night because of how their body regulates their temperature. Some people become way too hot, finding themselves tossing and turning all night and wake up covered in sweat.
Others may be cold sleepers who struggle to keep warm and are often shivering through the night. Neither of these are easy to deal with and they both can be as bad as the other. So, how do you solve the issue? Keep reading and find out exactly how you can find your perfect sleeping temperature!
Mattress Matters
While you might not think it, your mattress matters a whole lot more than you realise when it comes to keeping your body temperature regulated. You could have the best mattress for hot sleepers, but in actual fact, you need the best one for cold sleepers, so it does really make a difference to your sleep quality what type of mattress you have. If you’re a hot sleeper, it’s always best to go for a mattress that has cooling technology. This way, you’ll be able to naturally regulate your body temperature and enjoy the cooling sensations that the mattress can bring.
If you’re a cold sleeper, then opting for something like memory foam which retains heat will be your best bet. No matter which type of sleeper you are, it’s very important that your mattress has proper ventilation. This is because it helps to wick away moisture and keep the air flowing throughout the mattress. If the ventilation is poor, then cold sleepers will become even colder after the moisture and sweat sits on their body all night. On the other hand, hot sleepers will become even hotter and will struggle to cool down no matter how many blankets they go without. So, it’s super important that you go for a mattress with good ventilation no matter what type of sleeper you are.
Optimal Temperature
There is actually an optimal temperature that you should have your bedroom at, and that’s 18.3°C. While this may seem fairly low, being in a cooler room will help you sleep better throughout the night even if you’re a cold sleeper. If 18.3°C feels to warm for you, then you can turn it down a notch and vice versa if you’re too cold. At night, your body will decrease naturally in temperature, so if you find that you become too cold, it could be that the original temperature of the room was too low to start off with.
When you first get into bed, your body will start to release all the heat it’s carrying through your hands and feet, which is why they can feel warm at this point. However, if the room is too cold, then you’ll quickly feel a chill once your core temperature has been lowered. So, try to set the thermostat up for the evening beforehand and have it programmed to reduce before you go to bed. This way you can maintain a consistent temperature during the night and sleep much easier.
Keeping The Room Cool
There are lots of ways you can keep your room cool at night if you’re a hot sleeper. For example, try to keep your room dark and prevent the warm sunlight spilling in during the day. You can also promote better air flow throughout the room to help keep the air moving and feeling fresh. Stuffy rooms always feel hotter and make breathing feel stifled, so try to keep your bedroom well ventilated. You also want to make sure that your bedding itself isn’t the culprit of your overheating.
A lot of use whatever bedding we like the look of but covers made from waffle materials and duvets that have a high tog can easily cause you to become too hot. Switch out your current bedding to a set that’s much more breathable and opt for a light tog duvet or even a simple quilt or blanket. If you really want to get into the science side of keeping your room cool, you could introduce some houseplants. There are lots of plants like rubber plants, ficus benjaminas, and snake plants that work wonders in a room. These plants release water into the air when it becomes too warm, which then in turn cools it down. So, if you want to really reinforce a cool bedroom, why not bring some nature in?
Keeping The Room Warm
If you’re a cold sleeper, then your top priority is going to be keeping your bedroom warm. There are many ways you can do this, and one of the easiest is to turn your thermostat up slightly. However, you might not want to keep your heating on all night and push your energy bill up, so here are some less expensive ways. The first thing you should do is check for any drafts within the room and get them fixed. These will easily let in cold air and cause you to become chillier than you’d like. You can also change up your bedding to thicker versions that will help to keep your warm throughout the night.
You could also move your bed away from the window too, as even with double glazing, some of the chilly night air can be felt. Try to let the sunlight in during the day and keep your curtains closed as soon as the sun starts to set. This way you’ll let in all the heat from the day and trap it for the night time. If you really struggle to stay warm, then an electric blanket can be a godsend! You can even get double sized ones that have only one half heat up so if you share a bed, the other person doesn’t have to have a hot blanket on top of them all night. It’s also a good idea to use a draft excluder in front of your bedroom door to help keep the heat in, and the cold out.
Sleeping right can be tough when you run either too warm or too cold, but it’s not something you have to learn to live with. In fact, you can easily solve your issues with a few simple changes. Having the right mattress for you is extremely important, as is the type of bedding that you have. No matter which type of sleeper you are, try having your thermostat set to 18.3°C, and you’ll soon feel the difference. These tips should hopefully arm you with the knowledge you need to find your perfect sleeping temperature, and you’ll be able to get the good night’s sleep you deserve at long last.