When was the last time you had a really great night’s sleep?
Many of us spend more of our waking day than we’d like to admit fantasizing about our return to the sheets, but when we eventually get there, the experience is often less than satisfactory.
In fact, according to SleepHealth, a shocking 70% of American adults report that they regularly suffer from insufficient sleep. The effects of this epidemic can run surprisingly deep.
Why Sleep is So Important
Part of the problem is the modern tendency to treat sleep as a luxury as opposed to an essential function. In reality, our bodies require sleep in the same way they require water and oxygen.
Sleep is the fuel that allows our brains to operate effectively, so if we aren’t enjoying enough of it, we’ll soon find ourselves unable to concentrate and complete basic tasks.
Without adequate rest, we are also far more susceptible to illness. Sleep Foundation reports that a lack of sleep is a contributing factor to the development of such serious conditions as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
How Room-Temperature Affects Sleep
Sleep experts explain that temperature affects how well and how long you can sleep. This is because when you go to sleep, your brain’s ideal temperature reduces. Your body is constantly striving for this set point.
This small drop in temperature is very important for falling asleep, meaning that if you’re in a cooler room, you’ll probably enter dreamland more easily.
However, whenever you try to sleep in uncomfortable settings, whether they’re too hot or too cold, then you’re bound to struggle. Even if you do drop off, you may find that you wake up sooner than expected.
We’ve all had those hot nights of intermittent, uncomfortable slumber, right? We don’t need advanced sleep science to know about that!
How Can I Achieve the Ideal Sleep Temperature?
Conflicting opinions abound regarding what constitutes the ideal sleep temperature. If you share a room with your partner, you may have found that they like to sleep in a warmer or cooler environment than you personally enjoy.
That’s because individuals have their preferences, and this variation has to be accounted for. However, a range of 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit is generally recommended as an appropriate temperature for quality sleep.
Setting Your Thermostat for Sleep
Thankfully, due to HVAC innovations, we now have the ability to tailor our home’s temperature. That means we can create the perfect climate for our specific sleep schedule.
If you keep the heating or AC on in the evening, you might choose to program your thermostat so that it cools slightly just before bedtime. Many models allow you to do this in advance, meaning it automatically adjusts every night.
Would you like to discuss how HVAC can help you achieve a better night’s sleep? Contact the team at Beehive. We’ll set you up with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning solutions that suit and support your lifestyle.