Are you having a hard time falling asleep or sleeping through the night? Your bedroom may be too warm. According to The National Sleep Foundation, the body’s temperature rises and falls throughout the day, and continues into the sleep cycle. As you get sleepy in the evening, your temperature drops and keeps dropping through the night. Around 5:00 a.m. your body temperature starts to climb in preparation to wake up. Because of this pattern, the air temperature in your bedroom can make or break how well you rest. A room that’s too warm can interrupt your body’s natural dip and make it uncomfortable to sleep, and a room that’s too cold won’t be comfortable either. An ideal temperature of around 65 degrees should stay in sync with your body’s lower temperature.
So how can you make sure your thermostat is set for the best temperature for sleep?
Get a Programmable Thermostat
Many of us have varied schedules each evening. We come in late from work or get home from a kid’s sporting event and head straight to bed. A programmable thermostat can be set to drop to your preferred temperature each night at the same time.
Resist the Urge to Turn Up the Thermostat Before Bedtime
As your body temperature drops in the evening, it’s tempting to crank up the thermostat to warm the bedroom. But the body’s temperature needs to drop 2 to 3 degrees to initiate sleep. So instead of touching the thermostat, climb into bed under the covers, and you’ll be much more likely to sleep soundly with cooler room temperature.
Cater to Your Feet
Since your feet naturally lose heat as your body temperature drops, they’re likely to get cold and make the rest of you feel cold. Don’t touch the thermostat. Instead, wear socks to bed and as you get warm under the covers, you can peel them off.
Call Snell Today For Better Sleep in Northern Virginia
Our HVAC technicians at Snell Heating and Air Conditioning are pleased to talk to you about the best brands in programmable thermostats and smart thermostats, and we can install it for you to make sure it’s done right. Give us a call today to start sleeping comfortably.