Some people can sleep under any conditions. Sleep is a gift in more than one way for them. Some people struggle to sleep even in the best conditions. We’ve discussed one condition, light, extensively during the challenge. Let’s talk about another condition. Temperature. This is an important one. Everyone has individual preferences as to the temperatures they define as comfortable. Everyone has their own natural body temperature. What’s more, that natural temperature fluctuates throughout the day and night. This means your body temperature when you fall asleep differs from your temperature after several hours of sleep.
Regardless of your personal preferences, studies and experts have recommended a colder room for sleeping. This doesn’t mean you need to sleep in a freezer. However, sleeping in a room where you need a blanket to keep your body warm throughout the night appears preferable. You probably don’t need a study to know about this though. All of us have experienced waking up sweating. It’s an uncomfortable feeling to wake up covered in sweat because the air conditioner stopped, the fan died, or the blankets are too warm. Most of us have probably also had the opposite experience where we woke up shivering with cold. October is a prime month in the northern hemisphere to experience a dramatic overnight drop in temperature. For the hot sleepers out there, this could be welcome relief. We’ll talk a bit more about temperature the next few days, but take this suggestion now. Consider the temperature in your room when you sleep tonight. Is it cold enough? Whatever temperature you set, err on the side of cooler instead of warmer. See how you feel after a good night sleep in a colder room.