One of the most important factors that affects your sleep quality is temperature. Scientifically speaking, your body needs to maintain a lower temperature to reach a deep level of sleep. When it comes to comfort, maintaining a cooler body temperature prevents night sweats that can interfere with the quality of your rest.
Here’s a quick guide to find out how temperature affects your sleep quality and how you can improve your night’s rest with the weather in Singapore.
Before we jump into the guide, here are a few key points that we’ll talk about.
- What happens to your body temperature during sleep?
- What is the ideal body temperature for sleeping?
- What happens when the temperature is too high?
- What happens when the temperature is too cold?
- Ways to create the ideal temperature and sleeping environment
What Happens to Your Body Temperature During Sleep?
As you go through the stages of the sleep cycle, your body temperature slowly drops as part of your natural circadian rhythm until it reaches a comfortable level for deep sleep.
This drop in temperature leads your body to feel tired, drowsy, and ready to rest. Your body is programmed this way, so straying from the ideal temperature for sleeping can affect the quality of your rest.
What is the Ideal Body Temperature for Sleeping?
The normal body temperature throughout the day is 37 °C, depending on the person’s age, diet, physical activities, or the temperature of the surroundings. In accordance with your natural circadian rhythm, your body temperature changes throughout the day. When you wake up in the morning, your body temperature starts low and rises as the day progresses. When it’s nighttime and you’re about to rest, your body temperature will decrease again to prepare you for your night’s rest. As your body relaxes, your temperature continues to decrease until it reaches its lowest point. This change in temperature is linked to how fast you fall asleep and how long you stay asleep. Ultimately, if your surroundings or body temperature increase or decrease farther than required, your body’s rhythm becomes disrupted, causing you to wake up in the middle of the night.
According to the Sleep Foundation, the recommended bedroom temperature for a healthy slumber is approximately 18.3 °C. Again, this may vary according to your needs and preferences. Infants, for example, may require a warmer sleep environment with a temperature of at least 20.5 °C. Considering the weather in Singapore, especially during the summer, turning the thermostat down or opting for a cooling mattress can help you maintain the optimum sleep temperature at night.
What Happens When the Temperature Is Too High?
The temperature in Singapore can be too high for an ideal sleep, which interrupts your natural circadian rhythm and prevents you from getting a restful sleep. When your bedroom or mattress is too hot, it becomes harder to fall asleep. A sudden increase in temperature can also result in frequent night awakenings.
Apart from disrupting your body’s natural processes, sleeping hot causes night sweats, which are extremely uncomfortable. You might also end up tossing and turning to find a more comfortable position. All of these can make you restless and may cause sleep deprivation.
To prevent the effects of hot sleep, make sure that your bedroom is receiving the right amount of ventilation. It’s also important to use a cooling mattress that allows air to properly circulate around your sleeping surface.
What Happens When the Temperature Is Too Cold?
While it’s recommended to keep your bedroom cool when you sleep, making your bedroom too cold can also affect your sleep quality and health.
If your bedroom temperature is too low for your needs, your blood pressure may increase in the morning. Moreover, your body will increase its temperature to adapt to the cold environment, which in turn causes night sweats and shivers.
Ways to Create the Ideal Temperature and Sleeping Environment
Now that you know how important it is to keep a cool and cosy environment for sleeping, here are some doable tips that you can try to improve your night’s rest.
Adjust Your Thermostat
If you have an air conditioner at home, setting up your thermostat to achieve the ideal temperature will help you achieve your best sleep results. This will allow your body to cool down and reach a restful state, especially during the summer when the temperature in Singapore is usually higher than your body’s temperature. Prevent temperature fluctuations by closing your curtains or blinds during the hottest part of the day.
Shower Before You Sleep
Did you know that taking a warm shower before bed can help you sleep better? Taking a warm, cosy bath before you go to sleep can reduce the time you need to fall asleep while increasing the amount of deep sleep you get. This is because your blood vessels dilate and more heat escapes your body, which, in turn, lowers your body temperature.
Wear Comfortable Sleepwear
When your room temperature rises, make sure to wear cool and lightweight clothing to prevent night sweats. Cotton, linen, and bamboo fibre are some of the most comfortable sleepwear materials that you should look for if you want something more breathable during warmer nights.
Make Your Bed Cool
Some mattress types are extremely comfortable to sleep on but are not perfect for warm nights. When buying a mattress in Singapore, make sure to carefully choose the materials that are not only supportive to your body but also allow air to freely flow in and out of its structure. This way, your mattress does not trap heat but instead allows cooler air to circulate around your sleeping surface.
Mattresses with cooling gel layers or open-cell structures offer excellent breathability without compromising their support. Open-cell latex and innerspring mattresses are some of the cooling varieties that you should check out if you’re aiming to improve the temperature of your sleeping surface. Some mattress fabric materials, like cotton and bamboo fibres do a good job in terms of breathability and wicking moisture. Breathable pillows and bedding materials can also help in regulating your body’s temperature throughout your rest.
Takeaway
Maintaining a cool temperature is vital to ensuring a revitalising night’s rest. Understanding how temperature influences your sleep and knowing how to maintain the ideal temperature can help you attain your best snooze.
Since the temperature in Singapore can sometimes be really uncomfortable for sleeping, it’s important to create a sleep environment that will let your body breathe and relax.
If you’re looking for cooling sleeping solutions, check out Somnuz’s collection of breathable mattresses in Singapore.