Sleep Temperature

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Austin and Jordan,

In your recommendations (and those I’ve seen in other places) on sleep hygiene, it’s often stated that the ideal temperature for sleeping is somewhere in the low 60s. I have a couple of questions regarding these recommendations that I’m hoping you can answer or point me to somewhere I can learn more. 1. I’m currently sleeping at a comfortable temperature of around 70. If I lower the temperature by 5-7 degrees, I will need additional clothing and blankets to be comfortable enough to sleep. With the addition of these extra layers, the temperature around my body will increase. Does this cancel out the effect of lowering the ambient temperature, or is there some benefit to the room itself being cool, even if the air directly around my body is still at a comfortable temperature?
2. Is the benefit of the lower temperature primarily related to falling asleep, or is there a benefit to keeping the temperature low all night?
3. Assuming that the temperature needs to be kept low all night, is there any downside to having cold air blown on me constantly while sleeping? During the summer, keeping the temperature below 65 means the AC is running basically nonstop, and my bed is directly below the vent. Thanks for any insight you can offer on this topic!

2

I’m not aware of evidence supporting an “ideal” sleeping temperature for all people, but most people do better with a relatively cool temperature (whatever that means to them). I typically set the temperature around 67-68 myself, for example. This is an individual preference thing; if you’re sleeping well at your current temperature, carry on. No need to over-think the rest of this stuff.

1 Like
3

Thank you for the response. I should have specified that I do not sleep very well, and I’m attempting to find ways to improve my sleep. In my subjective experience, the temperature is not the issue, but it’s come up often enough as a recommendation that I wanted to investigate further.