Cool Story: The Benefits of a Low-Temp Bedroom
Key Takeaways
- Keeping a cool bedroom temperature between 65-72 degrees Fahrenheit can help improve sleep quality by increasing the body's stores of "brown fat" that contributes to metabolic health.
- Exercise can also help improve sleep quality by reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the cooldown after exercising has a similar effect to a cool bedroom temperature.
- The combination of a cool room temperature and a warm bed of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit is suggested for optimal sleep, but it is important to find a temperature that is comfortable for each individual. Additionally, KURU shoes can help prevent foot pain and muscle fatigue, which can contribute to restless slee
As funny as it may sound, the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study that found some evidence that yawning is your brain letting off the heat before bedtime.
This helps us understand how the body works and why it does what it does.
The cool just before bedtime can help your brain, and your body begins adjusting and getting ready for sleep. There is a theory that a warm shower before bed helps with sleep because you warm up in the shower, and then when you get out and get dressed, your body decreases in temperature and you get tired.
We all know that sleep is good for you, but sleep quality is important too. The research shows that a room temperature of 66 degrees increases the body's stores of “brown fat.”
A cooler core temperature tells your body to hit the hay.
Brown Fat
While we think ‘fat’ and ‘bad’ are synonymous in our society. This is not the case.
The so-called ‘brown fat’ is a good thing for us, as it is metabolically active. Infants have quite a bit of it, contributing to the chubby baby look, but it wasn’t until recently that scientists discovered the mere teaspoons in the adult body.
As it helps remove sugar from the bloodstream, alter energy expenditure and improve overall metabolic health, this is good fat.
Sounds simple, right? Lower the temperature, and you’ll have more energy. Well, not if your spouse has anything to say about it. Or your body, for that matter.
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Not So Simple
While the research shows those who slept in the rooms at 66 degrees increased in brown fat and those who slept at 81 degrees lost it, the study did not account for how well they slept, meaning they could have shivered all night long because they were too cold.
Recommending a temperature in the room is difficult, as everyone has a different level of comfort, and even between spouses, it can be hard to agree. The suggestion is to think of the bedroom as a cave. Keep it cool, dark, and quiet. Body fitting pillows that keep heat in may not be helpful, and socks may keep you awake. On the flip side of the argument, too cold is not good for you either, if you are shivering, you’re not sleeping deeply, and your quality of sleep is poor.
Other research on sleep also suggests that skin temperature affects sleep quality. This research is somewhat more definitive, suggesting that about 90 degrees is optimal for a skin temperature.
The most sensible research suggests a combination of the two, a cool head and a warm body. They suggest that you keep a cool room between 65 and 72 degrees but have only a warm bed of about 90 degrees for sleeping in.
We should again be quick to add, everyone has their likes and dislikes of how they like to sleep, but just because you have been doing it for a long time does not mean it is the best.
If you are not sleeping well, try switching it up by cooling it down. You might find you feel better the next day.
KURU Shoes for Better Sleep
While having a cooler bedroom might help you catch some z’s, daily activity is also important. Exercise not only decreases anxiety and depressive symptoms, which are a direct trigger for insomnia and restless sleep, but when you exercise in the afternoon or evening, your body heats up. The cooldown after your workout has the same effect as previously mentioned yawning and a cool bedroom temperature does on your brain and body. Aerobic activity that gets your heart pumping, such as running or step aerobics, is best at giving you these results.
Don’t forget to protect your feet with shock-absorbing athletic shoes from KURU. Our KURUSOLE technology uses your body heat to mold to your foot for the perfect custom fit. This means you get the best support and protection from impact available on the market to help prevent foot pain and muscle fatigue: another common factor keeping people awake at night. Along with regular exercise and foot stretches before bed, KURU can help you get the best sleep of your life. Wake up rested and energized, ready to conquer the day with KURU shoes.
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