How hot is your bedroom?

How hot is your bedroom?

How many times have you turned to flannelette pyjamas, woolly socks, hot water bottles and electric blankets when the temperature drops at night and you struggle to stay warm in bed? You might be surprised to learn how much temperature really affects sleep.

It is often overlooked, but regulating your room temperature at night can make all the difference to the quality of your sleep says Kirsten Taylor, sleep specialist and founder of award winning Kiwi company, SleepDrops.

This is especially relevant to those who don’t have access to shelter or items such as heaters, particularly during the winter months. A good night’s sleep is essential to overall health and wellbeing.

“Sleep is something which should be universally accessible to people across all age and income brackets. However sadly not everyone has access to shelter and a warm bed, we should all spare a thought for those who go without,” she says.

There are more than 100 people sleeping rough in Auckland’s city centre alone, and thousands of vulnerable people living in unsuitable accommodation Nationwide.

Kirsten says the optimal room temperature for a good night’s sleep is around 18.5°C. But everyone is different.

“Throughout the daytime your body temperature naturally rises and falls, which is linked to your sleep cycle. When you begin to feel drowsy in the early evening, your core temperature will decrease slightly, reaching its lowest level in the early hours of the morning. From then it will start to increase slowly, helping you to feel more alert in the morning,” she says.

Kirsten says this is why a comfortable temperature is so crucial for a good night’s sleep. “If it is either too hot or too cold, this will interfere with your body’s natural temperature circadian rhythm, resulting in a disruptive sleep.”

If you would like to help make a difference, check out the Big Sleep Out taking place tonight Thursday 2nd July.

ENDS

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