Sound sleep: What is the ideal temperature in the bedroom?

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You’ve probably already noticed, but it’s harder to sleep when it’s too hot or too cold. This can be explained scientifically, and there is even an ideal temperature that is supposed to guarantee a better night’s sleep.

The effects of sleep on our health and productivity
Sleeping in the heat is very uncomfortable: we toss and turn in our sheets, sweat, and struggle to get to sleep. The result: we get tired, and this can affect our productivity.

The same is true when it’s too cold and part of our body is exposed. We may not sweat, but the effects are the same: Our sleep is affected. But here’s the thing, as environmental health researcher Amir Baniassadi reminds us on the Hebrew Senior Life site:

Disrupted sleep can lead to impaired memory, an increased risk of falls, and a decreased ability to perform daily activities. It can also affect our mood and overall well-being. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect sleep quality in older people is crucial to growing old healthier and happier.

Temperature and the hypothalamus
No, it’s not just a feeling. You sleep better when it’s cool in a room. The website Tediber explains :

Spontaneously, our brain – the hypothalamus, to be precise – lowers our body temperature when we go to bed. It plays the role of a thermostat to encourage us to fall asleep. A cool bedroom creates a sense of thermal well-being that enables our body to initiate this process.

Researcher Amir Baniassadi had several participants in his study sleep in rooms with different temperatures and found the following:

Sleep quality was highest when the room temperature was between 20 and 23 °C, and generally decreased when the temperature exceeded 23.8 °C.
Note, however, that this is an average value, and the ideal temperature can vary from person to person. However, these figures are significantly higher than those of the French environmental agency ADEME, which recommends a temperature of 17 °C for a good night’s sleep. This temperature also allows for some energy savings at a time when rising inflation is affecting our monthly budget.