The Perfect Sleep: Unlocking the Ideal Bedroom Temperature

Having trouble sleeping through the night? It turns out you’re not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35% of adults in the United States regularly do not get enough sleep. What qualifies as enough? If you’re getting less than seven hours per night, you may be at increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and depression. The situation can be even more challenging for older adults dealing with sleep disorders.

Most research on sleep problems focuses on physical and behavioral causes, but the sleep environment also plays a significant role in sleep quality. During hot summer nights, many Israelis sleep with the air conditioner or a fan running—but does this improve sleep, or make it worse?

A recent study conducted by Dr. Amir Baniassadi of the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research found that the most efficient and restful sleep for adults occurs when the nighttime room temperature is between 68°F and 77°F (20°C to 25°C).

Dr. Uri Elkan, an ENT specialist and sleep physician at Beilinson Hospital, also recommends maintaining a temperature slightly above 68°F (20°C). According to him, the fewest sleep interruptions occur when the room is kept between 69°F and 72°F (21°C to 22°C). In essence, sleeping in an air-conditioned room can be beneficial. “It has been proven that one of the essential conditions for quality sleep—including deep sleep—is a properly cooled room. If the room is too warm, deep sleep is disrupted. This not only causes sweating, difficulty falling asleep, and insomnia, but also leads to shallow sleep that results in daytime fatigue. Sleep disruptions reduce next-day concentration and increase the risk of high blood pressure and even fatal accidents.”

In Dr. Baniassadi’s study, sleep efficiency decreased by 5% to 10% when room temperatures rose from 77°F to 86°F (25°C to 30°C).

Dr. Baniassadi noted, “These findings highlight the potential to improve sleep quality in adults by optimizing home thermal environments and underscore the importance of personalized temperature adjustments based on individual needs and circumstances. Additionally, the study points to the possible impact of climate change on sleep quality, particularly among adults with lower socioeconomic status.”