The ideal temperature for a restful sleep
If you have trouble falling asleep at night or often wake up during the night, you should check the temperature in your bedroom. It is not uncommon for a bedroom temperature that is too high or too low to have a negative impact on sleep quality. To help you get a restful night’s sleep, we tell you not only what the ideal temperature for sleep is, but also how to regulate this during summer and winter.
March 13, 2024 • 5 min reading time
Enjoy restful sleep at the perfect temperature.
Studies show that the ideal temperature for sleep for adults is between 16 and 19°C. Infants and babies usually also sleep best at temperatures of up to 19°C. If you put a thermometer in most people’s bedrooms, the temperature is often several degrees higher than recommended. But is there really anything wrong with that?
While some people start shivering at 18°C, others leave their bedroom window open at night, even in sub-zero temperatures. In fact, some people have a very different sense of hot and cold to others. If you notice that you are waking up more often at the optimum 16 to 19°C because you are cold or too hot, then you should listen to your body, of course.
Nevertheless, we advise you to test the recommended temperature for sleep for a few days and observe your sleeping behaviour. While people often perceive temperatures very differently during the day, everyone’s body goes into rest mode at night – when our heart rate changes less than during the day and our body temperature drops. If the temperature in your bedroom is too high, you’ll start sweating. If it is too low, you’ll wake up because you’re too cold.
Our bedroom temperature and climate have a major influence on our well-being and sleep quality. If it is warm and stuffy in the night, we often get a headache and start sweating under the duvet. And if we then remove the duvet, there is an increased risk of being cold. Dry heating air also often leads to a blocked nose, which makes it difficult to fall asleep.
If it is too cold, our body tries to generate additional energy by shivering. Although a cooler ambient temperature can be offset by warm duvets and pyjamas, temperatures should still not fall below 15 to 16°C. This is advisable because the body produces more of the sleep hormone melatonin at room temperatures of between 15.5 and 20°C, which also makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.
If you always wake up drenched in sweat despite maintaining the ideal temperature for sleep, it may not just be because your duvet is too warm. Hormonal changes also often result in hot flushes. Menopausal women in particular frequently suffer from night sweats, which can severely disrupt sleep.
We now know that the ideal temperature for sleep for most people is between 16 and 19°C. In addition to temperature, there are also other factors that improve your sleeping environment, such as humidity and oxygen content. We explain what you need to do to maintain a perfect temperature and optimum climate in your bedroom all year round.
Regular ventilation is an important part of our everyday routine – not only to prevent the formation of mould in our home, but also to improve our well-being. Good oxygen exchange improves our concentration while working and prevents headaches.
Just before going to bed, thorough ventilation ensures sufficient fresh air throughout the night. If your bedroom temperature does not fall below 16°C at night, we recommend turning off the heating before ventilating the room. After you get up in the morning, you should thoroughly ventilate your bedroom again to let out any accumulated humidity. You can then turn the heating back on if required.
Optimum humidity also ensures better sleep quality. While dry air irritates the respiratory tract, excessive moisture increases the risk of mould formation. If the hygrometer in your bedroom shows humidity of 40 to 60%, you have nothing to worry about.
If the humidity is too low, you can address this using bowls of water or wet towels. If you put these on a warm heater during the day, the moisture will spread throughout the room. You can also leave damp towels out at night to optimise humidity.
If the humidity is too high, regular heating and ventilation will help. Open your windows several times a day for about ten minutes and then turn up the heating slightly.
If temperatures fall below zero in winter, your bedroom will get cold faster. This can be a problem, especially in poorly insulated old buildings. At the same time, overnight heating quickly causes the air to become stuffy and increases energy costs.
In order to withstand cold nights without putting the heating on, you should only ventilate your bedroom briefly in the evening, i.e. for around two to five minutes. Curtains and carpets ensure that floors and windows give off less cold.
Down duvets and warming sleepwear also ensure comfortable temperatures in winter. Make sure these are made of natural, temperature-regulating materials to avoid sweating under thick duvets.
High temperatures in summer often make it difficult to fall asleep in attics and apartments in old buildings. You can offset this problem during the day by keeping your room as dark as possible. Keep your windows closed, especially during the midday heat, to avoid letting hot air into your home. Early in the morning and just before going to bed, you should ventilate your room for a longer period of time.
Many people leave their windows open all night in summer and close them in the morning to ensure consistently cool temperatures. You should avoid using fans or air conditioning at night. Instead, short pyjamas made of moisture-absorbing natural materials and a thin summer duvet are perfect for the hot months. In general, we recommended regulating your sleeping temperature using bed linen and pyjamas to suit the season.
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