We all know the struggle of tossing and turning throughout the night, throwing the blanket off and back on, and even flipping your pillow over to the “cool” side. Some people don’t know that by simply adjusting the thermostat around bedtime, you can prevent all the unpleasant movement and growing insomnia from trying to get comfortable.

You might be asking yourself why the temperature matters to the quality and quantity of sleep. The answer is that your internal body clock referred to as the circadian rhythm, depends on numerous environmental factors such as light, exercise, and temperature. You’ll wake up when your body senses a change in these stimuli, such as the sun rising and the sunlight peeking through your windows in the morning.

Your temperature preferences

Think about when you are getting ready for bed at night. When you are falling asleep after crawling into bed, do you find yourself wrapped up in the blankets or having one, if not multiple, extremities hanging out from the covers for “air”? These behaviors are indicators that the current temperature isn’t right and needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Adjust your thermostat

According to the Sleep Foundation, the optimal sleep temperature is approximately 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Sleep temperatures are not set in stone because the body goes through the cycle of losing and gaining temperature throughout the night, though it typically doesn’t change more than 2 degrees. If you find that you can’t seem to fall asleep at night, consider adjusting your thermostat by a few degrees.

Turn on your ceiling fan

If you are a stickler about the set temperature for your thermostat, you might consider utilizing your ceiling fan if you have one. A ceiling fan will help achieve the effect of a colder room without touching the thermostat. If you consider using a ceiling fan, you might also have to consider a humidifier, as ceiling fans tend to make the air dry and even pose the risk of spreading dust and pathogens, making people sick.

Mind the weather

Lastly, you should always be mindful of the weather conditions outside as those could have a hand in the quality and quantity of your sleep at night. Snow storms and heat waves, in particular, could cause you to change your normal sleep habits with their extreme effects.

If nothing listed above seems to be the problem you are facing, then consider scheduling an appointment with one of our technicians, who will work to ensure your HVAC system is functioning correctly and that you are comfortable in your home.