Find The Right Sleep Temperature

A recent study showed that forty percent of adult Canadians suffer from some sort of sleep disorder involving at least three episodes of insomnia a week. Many took more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, woke up at least 30 minutes early, and stayed awake for more than 30 minutes in the night. Although there are many causes of insomnia, the temperature of your bedroom may be what is keeping you awake. In an attempt to be energy conscious, some people set their heating and air systems either too high or too low to sleep well. 

Body's Set Point

Everyone's body has an internal "set point" that it needs to reach for healthy sleep. If the bedroom is too warm or too cold, your body will have difficulty attaining this set point, and you will have a disturbed night's rest. Experts frequently recommend setting your thermostat at 20 degrees Celsius during the day in winter and even lower at night to save on utility bills. For some people, keeping the furnace at that level works well because body temperature naturally dips during the night, inducing sleep. For others, that temperature is too low, and stacks of blankets do not correct the deficit. Of course, a too-warm bedroom causes the same problem. Those people who keep their air conditioning set at 24 degrees Celsius during the summer to conserve energy may also struggle to fall asleep and stay there.

Thermostats

Typically, a good night's sleep takes place between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius, but everyone is different. The only sure way to find out your best sleep temperature is to experiment with adjusting the thermostat. First, check to make certain your thermostat is accurate by taking the following steps:

• Affix a glass tube thermometer near your thermostat, putting a paper towel behind it, so it does not touch the wall. 
•  Wait 15 minutes and then compare the thermometer reading with that of your thermostat. 
• If they differ by more than one degree, remove the faceplate of your thermostat and blow off the dust. If it has a coiled element, use a soft brush to clean it.
• After cleaning the thermostat, check its reading against the thermometer reading again. If it still differs, you may need to call your HVAC company and have it replaced. 

Once you know your furnace or air conditioner setting is not leading you astray, you will have to rely on trial and error to find the right temperature for your bedroom. 

Sometimes curing insomnia is as simple as changing the temperature where you slumber. Everyone wants to save on energy costs, but if raising or lowering your thermostat lets you sleep well, the extra money spent will be worth it. Find more information here.