A comfortable bedroom is a crucial part of a good night’s sleep, and temperature is one of the biggest influences on comfort. Tweaking the temperature of your room at night by just a few degrees can increase the length and quality of your sleep. But just like how people have varying comfort preferences, they also have different preferences for sleep.

We’ll learn what temperatures are beneficial for sleep and why. Then, we’ll provide some suggestions for HVAC equipment or accessories that could help improve sleep.

Your Body Is Designed to Cool Down During Sleep

According to the Sleep Foundation, the ideal bedroom temperature is about 65 degrees. Your personal preferences can have an impact, so anywhere between 63-67 is a good rule of thumb. But why is a cooler temperature more beneficial to sleep in?

Sleep occurs in cycles, and this pattern is called the circadian rhythm. Our bodies take in information including the quantity of light and heat around us to keep the circadian rhythm balanced with what’s required for healthy sleep. Since the sun’s warmth dissipates at night, the circadian rhythm interprets cooler temperatures as a better environment for sleep. This is why a cooler, darker bedroom is easier to sleep in than a room that’s hot and well-lit.

As you fall asleep, your body slows a lot of automatic processes that help balance your internal temperature. For example, sweating helps dissipate excess heat while shivering is the muscles’ attempt to warm themselves up. When you don’t regulate the temperature of your bedroom, even little changes can be noticeable enough to wake you up.

Keep Bedrooms Warmer for Infants and the Elderly

Infant children are still developing, and their smaller bodies are more sensitive to changes in temperature. Slightly warmer temperatures around 67-69 degrees are best, but make sure you’re also taking sleepwear and blankets into consideration. Heavy layers could be too warm, and any parent will tell you that infants only know one way to express dissatisfaction.

Tips for Fine-Tuning Sleep Temperatures

If you’re having trouble maintaining your ideal sleep temperature, there are a few pieces of HVAC equipment that can make all the difference. These products are especially useful for families, because different preferences can lead to butting heads over the nighttime thermostat setting.

Zoning systems: A zoning system has a series of dampers and levers in your ductwork to alter the direction of airflow. If you want to adjust the temperature for a particular room or space in your home, a zoning system makes it fast and convenient. Members of your family that enjoy extra heat or air conditioning at night can use a zoning system to provide their ideal sleep temperature.

Ductless mini-splits: Sometimes existing equipment and personal preferences just aren’t compatible. Thankfully, a ductless mini-split can generate fine-tuned comfort for single rooms or smaller areas. As the name implies, you don’t need any additional ductwork, which helps lower installation costs. These compact systems are perfect for rooms adjacent to unfinished spaces like the garage or attic.

Smart thermostats: These programmable thermostats are one of the simplest ways to make precise, energy-efficient improvements to the indoor temperature. Intelligent programming can monitor how you use your HVAC system and suggest the best daily schedule. So, if you prefer a cooler bedroom at night, a smart thermostat can automatically cool things down at bedtime. They’re compatible with zoning systems and mini-splits as well, bolstering your control over the temperature in every room of the house.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep with Booneville Heating & Cooling

If your HVAC system is the reason you can’t fall asleep, let Booneville Heating & Cooling know. We can offer recommendations and quality products ideal for maintaining comfortable nighttime temperatures. Schedule an appointment by calling us at 662-269-8716.