The ideal temperature while sleeping is probably lower than you think. And we can put a number here and you can set that as the bedroom temperature, but still be too hot or too cold. Just think of how you prefer to open a window at the office, while your colleague thinks it’s cool with the window closed. Or the other way around. The ideal temperature is based on what is comfortable for a 40-year-old man weighing 72 pounds. Nice and average, but for most people that ideal deviates slightly from that. Of course, we can give a guideline for the perfect temperature and how that could be higher or lower for you.

The best bedroom temperature for sleeping

In your living room, 19 or 20 degrees is a comfortable temperature for most people. Not too hot to be active, not too cold to sit on the couch. But the perfect bedroom temperature is somewhat lower than the perfect living room temperature for everyone. So, you can save energy here anyway, by lowering or even turning off the heating there, although the latter also depends on the outside temperature. As an indication, a temperature of 18 degrees is often given, 1.5 to 2 degrees lower than for the living room. Most people find their ideal bedroom temperature somewhere between 17 and 20.5 degrees. For women, whose fat burning is generally lower than men, the ideal temperature is slightly higher on average. Also read how many calories you burn while sleeping.

The science behind the ideal temperature

But what is the ideal temperature for you to sleep, and why? For this you look in your living room at the temperature that you find most comfortable, without blankets or extra sweater. Subtract 2 degrees from this, and you have your ideal temperature for the bedroom. Your body cools down when you sleep. In fact, without that cooling down, you don’t fall asleep that quickly. That’s why those sultry summer nights are so difficult to sleep.

The influence of the bedroom temperature on your sleep

A bedroom that is too warm can make it difficult to fall asleep . A bedroom that is too cold can mean that your body must work so hard to keep itself warm that you lie awake again. In the winter, it is therefore best to turn on the heating, but at a temperature that saves you money. And in the summer, sleeping with the window open, if safe, can also benefit the temperature in your bedroom. Now all you must do is find a temperature that is comfortable for both you and your bed partner.

Still too hot? Consider a cooling mattress

Especially in the summer, but certainly in some houses in the winter, it is almost impossible to cool down the bedroom. Now you can of course also play with the local temperature. Wearing less clothing can help, although sleeping naked is healthier anyway. A thinner duvet or sleeping only with a sheet or even without a cover can also ensure that your body cools down more easily. But have you ever thought about a cooling mattress? The Morningstar mattress, for example. This contains a serene foam layer with gel pearls that extract heat from your body and can properly dissipate it through the open structure.