It’s the middle of a summer night. The mercury in the thermometer is still above 80 and you’re tossing and turning in bed, trying to sleep but unable to drift off. As you turn over for the umpteenth time and your face lands in the wet patch on the pillow left by sweat from the back of your head, you realize what the problem is; you’re too hot. You get up, fumble around in the dark and stub your toe as you look for the ac remote.
You finally locate it in its usual place, turn the thermostat down and collapse back into bed. As the waves of cool air gently wash over you, your eyes close and you gratefully slip into a deep relaxing sleep, only to wake up half an hour later, shivering with cold.
We’ve all been there and done that, and if you share a bedroom with someone the problem of finding the ideal ac temperature for sleeping is not just doubled, but quadrupled.
So, what is the best ac temperature for sleeping?
Unfortunately, the answer to that depends, like so much else in life, on the individual. The good news is that we can give you some facts and advice which will help you find the right thermostat setting for a good night’s slumber, and negotiate it with your partner if necessary.
- Setting your thermostat below 54ºF or above 75ºF will disrupt your sleep.
- According to most studies on the subject, the best ac temperature for sleeping is in the mid-60s, depending on the individual.
- In order to promote good sleep, your body’s core temperature drops (that’s why we feel cold when we’re tired) so your bedroom should be cooler than the rest of your house.
- The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends “thinking of a bedroom as a cave: It should be cool, quiet, and dark.”
- If you’re sharing a bedroom and can’t agree on the exact temperature, try to compromise on a setting in the thermally neutral zone, meaning your body doesn’t have to compensate for being too cold (shivering) or too hot (sweating).
- Whatever setting you choose, remember to avoid exercising or eating large, hot meals before sleeping, as both activities raise your body’s core temperature and make it that much harder to fall asleep.
- Babies and toddlers lose body heat faster than adults (because they’re smaller) so the temperature in their room should be between 65ºF and 70ºF, and remember to keep the crib away from windows and vents.
We hope you find the above information useful and we’ve helped you get a good night’s sleep.
And if you’ve found your ideal temperature and then find yourself again unable to sleep, your ac unit might be experiencing problems. If that’s the case, give us a call and we’ll have one of our qualified ac maintenance men come and sort out the problem. Thank you for your time.