Sleeplessness is a common problem. For some of us it’s occasional, for others, it’s chronic. Sleep research over the past couple of decades has yielded some rather astonishing findings as far as what affects the length and quality of the sleep we get. Some of the factors that may be affecting your sleep are:
- Too much light
- Too much noise
- Looking at digital devices before sleep
- Caffeine use
- Alcohol use
- Sweets consumption before bed
- Sagging mattress
Another prominent factor in sleeplessness turns out to be the home temperature. Many people, particularly in wintertime, tend to keep their homes too warm at night. This not only wastes energy, but also may be keeping you awake.
Ideal Sleeping Temperature
Sleep researchers say the ideal sleeping temperature is somewhere between 15-19 degrees C, although some individuals may sleep well a few degrees over that. Any warmer, however, and your body may have trouble lowering its temperature — a necessity for producing the hormone melatonin, which helps us achieve that restorative stage of sleep known as REM (rapid eye movement). Any colder, and you may start shivering, which will also keep you awake.
Setting Your Thermostat
You can, of course, regularly adjust your thermostat every night prior to going to bed, setting it at your ideal temperature. On the other hand, you could also upgrade to a programmable or Wi-fi thermostat, which allows you to set the thermostat once so that you don’t have to remember to do it every night. With a Wi-fi (also known as a smart thermostat) model, you can also reset the temperature when you are away from home to save energy or to adjust it according to local weather conditions.
Tips for Improving Sleep
After you’ve installed and set your new thermostat for a lower sleep temperature, also do the following:
- Turn off lights.
- Turn off digital devices at least an hour prior to sleep.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sweets a few hours prior to bedtime.
- Acquire a comfortable mattress.
To learn more about how smart thermostats, contact Arpi’s Industries of Calgary.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home comfort and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
