Summer is the only season in the year when most households concern themselves with the temperature in their houses. Usually, it’s because of the increased heat, especially in the bedrooms, as the general temperatures rise.
Although during summer, the temperatures are generally high, it is vital that, even then, you maintain cold temperatures in your house. The reason is that cool temperatures come with a lot of benefits, the most common ones being;
- Comfortable sleep
- Reduced chances of sleep
This piece will teach you the vital benefits of maintaining a cool bedroom without breaking your air conditioner.
You will also learn the various risks of sleeping in a cold bedroom. Therefore, read to the end.
Why Is Sleeping in a Cold Room Important?
It’s evident that sleeping in a cold room is more comfortable than sleeping in a hot room- at least for most people. In addition to being relaxed all night, your body remains cool all night.
So you don’t have to deal with sweaty blankets or bed sheets because of excess heat.
In addition to getting a good night’s sleep, sleeping in a cold room has many health benefits vital for your day’s performance.
Here is why you should sleep in a cold room;
Fall Asleep Quickly
When you sleep in a cold room, you tend to fall asleep much faster than in a heated room. While most people believe it’s because of the comfort of staying cool all night, a scientific explanation explains why you fall asleep faster when you sleep in a cold room.
When your bedtime approaches, your body temperature naturally drops to boost your body’s metabolic rate. In return, this triggers sleep hormones so you can sleep faster.
If you keep your bedroom cool, you naturally trigger your brain to activate sleep hormones. But if your room is too hot, your body will struggle to release the sleep hormones.
Being in a cold room allows you to sleep faster and to enjoy deep and good quality sleep.
It Slows Down Your Aging Process
In addition to producing sleep hormones, sleeping in a cold room also triggers your body to produce melatonin. The hormone will help you age slowly, an anti-aging hormone. If your room maintains 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, your body will likely age slower.
Your skin is more likely to retain good and general health when you maintain cool temperatures; the effects help you look younger for a long time.
You Will Sleep Throughout the Night
More than 70% of Americans struggle with waking up in between the night. As a result, most of them miss the vital sleep stages, which can harm their mental health.
Here are some of the effects of having incomplete sleep cycles;
- Mood swings
- Emotional distress
- Poor sleep quality
- High-stress levels
- somatic complications
However, sleeping in a cold room releases your body’s sleep hormones that, cause you to remain asleep for longer hours. Therefore, if you have a problem waking up in the middle of the night, you should reduce your bedroom temperature. Doing this will ensure you get all crucial sleep stages.
Being in a warm room will cause you to wake up severally throughout the night because of excessive sweating caused by increased temperatures.
It Boosts Your Metabolism
Sleeping in a cold room cause your body to trigger enzymes that boost your metabolic rate. This reduces the chances of acquiring lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, heart complications, and diabetes.
Your body also releases growth hormones for repairing damaged tissues and bone fractures.
If your child sleeps in a cold room, they are more likely to grow healthy and become more active. It is in contrast to children who sleep In hot rooms because of the high metabolism rate.
Finally, cold rooms trigger insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal. In return, this reduces the chances of acquiring type 2 diabetes.
It Reduces the Risks of Insomnia
Results from several clinical studies prove that more than 20% of Adult Americans struggle with chronic insomnia. From the research, statistics showed most of them have high core body temperatures as they sleep.
Your body is naturally built to cool itself down in preparation for sleep. Therefore, when you do the opposite and increase the room temperature as you sleep, you open yourself to the risks of insomnia.
It Reduces Your Stress Level
Ideally, people who get enough sleep at night are more productive and happier throughout the day than those who sleep less. Therefore, you should strive to enjoy enough sleeping hours to reduce the chances of acquiring mental disorders, among other diseases.
If you sleep in a cold room, you can be sure to enjoy long sleeping hours, which reduces the chances of dealing with mental health problems. However, if you sleep in a hot room, you are more likely to wake up in the middle of the night because of excessive sweating.
As a result, you are likely to be less productive during the day and acquire mental disorders.
It Enhances Your Mood
Sleeping in a cold room helps maintain a regular and bright mood. When you improve the quality of your sleep, you wake up happy and relaxed, boosting your general mood.
In addition to releasing melatonin, your body releases the feel-good hormone serotonin. The hormone helps you feel happier and brighter throughout the day, making you productive.
Better Sleep Quality
Excessive sweating the night can be uncomfortable, triggering incomplete sleep cycles at night. Therefore, you should lower your room temperatures to improve the general quality of your sleep.
When bedtime reaches, your body naturally starts to release sleep hormones to help you enjoy deep sleep. So, when sleep time approaches, you should cool down your room temperatures to help your body produce the sleep hormones. In return, this will improve the quality of your sleep.
Sleeping in a cold room also increases your metabolism, improving your sleep quality. Because your body doesn’t use much energy as you sleep, you are more likely to sleep for longer hours.
Weight Loss
When you sleep in a cold room, your body increases the production of melatonin, which triggers your body to store more “beige fat.” As a result, your body will start burning more calories, increasing your weight level and helping you achieve your body goals.
Therefore, In addition to your usual weight loss regimes, you should include sleeping in a cold room to help you lose weight.
Decreased Risk of Disease
As mentioned above, by sleeping in a cold room, your body naturally increases metabolism, which helps burn calories faster. It also increases insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal, reducing the chances of acquiring type 2 diabetes.
Sleeping well also increases the production of melatonin. In return, this helps reduce the chances of acquiring mental disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Because melatonin increases the amount of sleep one gets, the chances of developing mental disorders decrease.
However, if you already live with dementia, experts do not recommend increasing your melatonin levels. The recommendation is to help to avoid risks of falling, among other accidents.
How to Make a Hot Room Colder
Generally, sleeping in a hot room can be uncomfortable. It is because of the excessive sweating that keeps you turning and tossing in bed and glued to your sheets throughout the night.
The most common way to reduce your room temperature to improve your sleep quality is by using A.C. Still, again, A.Cs. can be costly and straining to your electric bills, so we came to these environmentally friendly methods to help reduce your general room temperature.
Use a Cooling Mattress Topper
Mattresses can be a great contributor to excessive heat. Memory foam likely traps heat, making you uncomfortable throughout the night. Mattress covers help reduce the amount of heat your mattress absorbs. They are infused with gel to support your mattress and regulate heat.
You can also get your mattress a latex cover to help reduce the amount of heat your body absorbs. Latex is breathable and hence does not hoard heat, which is the perfect combination if you are looking for a mattress that will keep you fantastic all night.
Use a Fan
As your fan circulates, it also blows the air, which reduces the general temperature. Another reason to own a fan is that it will evaporate excess sweat that forms as you sleep, which cools down your body temperature.
If your room is too hot, you can fill your bowl with ice packs and place it at an angle where your fan will blow it. By doing this, your fat will release a cold breeze of air, which helps reduce your room temperature.
However, you shouldn’t point your fan directly to your body to reduce the chances of respiratory diseases.
Sleep Naked
When you sleep naked, you allow the free flow of air, which reduces the general body temperature. However, if you sleep with your partner, sleeping naked might increase your body temperature because of skin-to-skin contact.
Open Your Window
Opening your window works as efficiently as having a fan.
However, opening your windows has extra benefits as they reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the room. A recent study showed that when there are reduced carbon dioxide levels in your room, you are more likely to sleep longer as you enjoy a deeper sleep.
You can close your windows during the day, but as temperatures rise at night, you should crack a window open to allow the free flow of air.
Drink Water
In addition to the other health benefits, drinking water helps cool your body temperature. Water taking up to 60% of the entire body explains how vital water is for the functioning of your body.
Most experts recommend taking 91-130 ounces of water daily, with the last glass being a few hours before bedtime. Although drinking water right before you sleep will not affect your health directly, it will affect your sleep since you must wake up several times to pee.
Stick Your Feet Out
Scientists state that you move most of your body heat through your feet, hands, and head. Therefore, sleeping without socks or uncovering your feet will help your body lower its general temperature. In return, this will improve your sleep quality each night.
Get Yourself Cooling Bed Sheets
Most cooling sheets are designed with a breathable fabric that wicks moisture that helps you stay cool throughout the night. You should avoid flannels and other materials(like synthetic ones) that trap heat and keep you excessively warm.
You can also put your shred in your freezer and remove it immediately before bed to feel the ice-cold breeze as you sleep.
Buy a Cooling Pillow
Cooling pillows are specially made to help cool your bed sheets as well. You can choose from several materials, but the most common ones are; down, Latex, down alternative, and memory foam.
Each of these materials has a unique cooling effect, so you should choose one that suits you.
Opt For Led Instead of Incandescent Light
Incandescent lights emit more heat than LED lights, so you should opt for LED lights instead. However, if you still prefer Incandescent, ensure you turn them off before you sleep and don’t turn them on at night.
Sleep Downstairs
Hot air goes up while cold air goes down. Therefore, you should sleep in the downstairs bedroom, as it’s much more relaxed there. However, if you have to sleep upstairs, you can adjust your mattress to make it more peaceful.
Solid foundations are much warmer than other mattresses since they trap air within. Therefore, you should replace or adjust the foundation of your mattresses to a slatted one that allows air to pass through it.
Invest in Blackout Curtains
Light and heat reduce the amount of melatonin that your body produces. Therefore, you should get blackout curtains that prevent heat and light from entering your bedroom. Doing this will maintain a stable amount of sleeping hormones that your body produces.
Keep Blinds Closed
Generally, light produces heat energy. When you open your curtains during the day, you open your room to a lot of heat, especially in warm months. Building up the heat in your house can take hours to dissipate completely, affecting the temperature at night.
Therefore, you should avoid opening your curtains during the day to avoid trapping heat in your room.
Close the Windows
If your air conditioner is not working, try to keep the sunlight from entering your house through your window. You can keep your curtains closed to do this.
You can either; roll the curtains up to redirect the sunlight from your house, or you can completely close them and maintain a dark home. Either of these ways works perfectly in maintaining cool temperatures in your house, so you should pick one that suits you.
Close the Doors
Your door is the most significant way that heat travels to your house. So if you are looking for ways to reduce your room temperature, you should close your door.
Light energy produces heat energy. So the more light enters your house, the greater the heat energy there will be if you have blocked it with a screen. To regulate that, you should close your doors to prevent light from entering your house.
Ice and a Fan
Using a fan with ice is an old trick that people used many years before they invented A.C. They would add ice to a bowl and place it where the fan would blow directly into it. It would create a moist breeze that works perfectly on a hot night.
Cotton Sheets on the Bed
When you are used to extreme cold, getting used to high temperatures can be tricky. To make your adjustment easier, you should change your bedsheets to cotton bed sheets that are much more breathable. Cotton is an excellent material to use as an alternative.
Use Those Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are much more effective in regulating temperature than other fans. The reason is that they keep air flowing downwards towards where you are. That way, they ensure you stay cool throughout the night.
You should also ensure your fan flows anti-clockwise to cool your room more efficiently.
Focus on You
Sometimes it’s not possible to control temperatures in the room. However, you can control how you reach the amount of heat your body produces. You can drink cold beverages, wear light clothes, and apply cool clothes on your wrist and neck.
Another trick is to freeze 2-litre bottles and then put the frozen water under your feet to keep you cool throughout the night.
Use Your Exhaust Fans
Most houses have inbuilt exhaust fans in the kitchen and the bathroom; if you have built your home as such, make good use of them.
The exact process they use to remove steam from your kitchen is how they’ll remove excess heat in your bedroom.
Whole House Fans are Amazing
Although whole fans are only famous in some newly built houses, if you come across it, you should consider buying it.
The fan is a vent that opens up, and a fan that sucks the hot air comes out when you turn its knob on.
Open Your Windows Strategically
Most houses have A.C. that works perfectly in lowering room temperatures. But, they can be heavy on the electric bills regardless of how much you try to regulate their use. Therefore, we devised ways to help you control your room temperature without using A.C.
One of the methods that worked well was opening the windows in the mornings when it was still cool inside to lower the house’s temperatures. However, when the sun came out, I’d close the windows to avoid heat build-up in the home. That way, our house maintained a good amount of heat.
Energy Efficient Bulbs
Regular coloured bulbs are expensive and have high heat capacity. Hence, they can be uncomfortable to sleep in if you don’t have A.C. Therefore, you should transform to energy-saving bulbs that do not accumulate much heat when you turn them on.
Cook Strategically
Your stove can cause a lot of heat build-up if you decide to cool it at any time of the day. One of Learned’s recent tips was to cool early in the morning while it is still cold. If not, find an alternative cooking mode to reduce heat build-up in the house.
You can choose instant pots, cockpit, grill, or cook from outside to cook your meals without altering room temperature.
Add Some Permanent Shade
If your house lacks shading to protect it from the sun, it will likely be hot inside when the sun beats it directly.
Therefore, you should add awnings to the windows, cover your porch, or plant trees to protect your house from direct sunlight. Reducing direct sunlight will automatically reduce your house temperatures, ensuring you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Freeze Your Sheets and P.J.’s
Before A.C., people did many exciting things to keep their houses warm. Some built them in funny shapes to prevent them from the sun, among other things. However, what stood out the most was that they froze their pyjamas and bed sheets to remain cool throughout the night.
Freeze a Hot Water Bottle
In the same way, you fill your water bottle with hot water to relieve you from pain. You can also add water and freeze it to keep you cool all night.
Place it near your legs once it’s cold enough to help regulate your body temperature. You should use bottles with materials that do not sweat and fill your bed with water.
Strategically Place Your Box Fans
However, you can still use box fans even if you have A.C. to regulate your house temperature and maintain a cool room. First, you must turn on the box fans, then place them outside to pull out the warm air from your house through the windows. Doing this is an efficient way to maintain a quiet room without using A.C.
Sleep with a Wet Sheet
Another unique way to reduce your body temperature is by dampening your towel or bedsheets to cover yourself with them as you sleep. Although it’s an efficient way, if you aren’t careful, you can easily mess up your mattress. So you should be cautious.
Loose and Less
When the temperatures are high, and you don’t have access to air conditioning, you should ensure that your clothes are loose and few.
You should wear cotton and loose pyjamas that will help you breathe in as you sleep. For daily wear, you can opt for shorts instead of trousers and tank tops in regular shirts.
Create a Cross Breeze
Creating a cross breeze in your house is relatively easy. You only need to place your box opposite your windows facing outside to make a cool breeze in your room.
Use Your Pulse Points
You can place a damp cloth or an ice pack on your pulse joint, elbows, wrist, ankles, neck, groin area, feet, and knees to reduce your general temperature as you sleep.
Sleep Solo
If the heat is too much, you can sleep separately from your partner to stay calm as you sleep. Skin-to-skin contact with your partner is the perfect recipe for excessive heat at night because two bodies create more warmth than one.
Therefore, if you can’t stand the heat, consider sleeping alone until the temperatures cool.
Suspend Your Bed
Beds above the floor tend to have more airflow than flat beds. So, if you own a hammock or a cot, you can sleep in them as you wait for air conditioning or adopt other ways to cool your room.
Stay Hydrated
Most tips above will help you remain calm as you sleep because the body struggles to stay on its own on a hot night. Anytime you sweat, it’s a sign that your body needs to cool down.
If you are among those people who sweat a lot at night, you should always stay hydrated to avoid dehydration due to sweat.
Take a Cold Shower
Although many people don’t like cold showers, they are a great way to keep cool during the hot temperatures. However helpful, you should never run directly into a cold shower if you’re coming from a scorching area, as you risk getting a heart attack.
Sleep in the Basement
Hot air rises as cold air goes down. Therefore, you should always strive to sleep in the basement of your house to enjoy the cool temperatures, especially if you don’t have an A.C.
If you lack a basement, you can still sleep on the lowest ground of your house.
Put a Wet Sheet to Use
There are two ways to use your wet sheet: cover yourself with it or hang it on the open window for the wind to blow over it. Doing this will create a relaxed and perfect environment to sleep in.
Cold Feet
First, wash your feet and place them in a cold and icy water bucket. Doing this will help reduce your general body temperature, ensuring you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Try Out a Bamboo Mat
If you don’t have a raised bed, you can still replace your mattress with a bamboo mat until the temperatures return to normal.
Although it’s less comfortable, the best part is that it will not absorb and retain your body heat like your mattress. So you will remain cool throughout the night by sleeping on it. You can also place it on your bed as you sleep to avoid direct contact with your mattress if you can’t sleep on it alone.
Ditch the Electronics
Although most people don’t know it yet, electronic gadgets highly contribute to increased temperatures in your house. Therefore, plug out your electronics to reduce excess heat in your home when not in use.
Rice
If you don’t have what I’ve packed in your house, you can use rice to make some for yourself.
You must add ice to your socks and freeze them for about two hours. Once they are frozen, you can remove the rice from your socks to enjoy your pack of rice ice.
Buckwheat
While buckwheat is common for making amazing pancakes, you can still use it to stuff your pillows when it gets hot. Unlike other kinds of pillows, buckwheat does not absorb and retain heat. So, it ensures you stay cool throughout the night.
Cover Your Doors and Windows
You should add an extra layer of towels and bedsheets once you close your doors to avoid hot air from coming in and cold air from leaving your house. Although this method leaves your home looking like a cave, it’s one of the most efficient ways to keep your house cool throughout the night.
Doing this will also help reduce the electricity you use for your A.C.
Window Units
Window units have many benefits, but the most common is that they’re easy to use, repair, or replace. Therefore, if your house lacks A.C. and you cannot spend much on it, you should consider buying a window unit to keep your home cool.
Ductless HVAC
Ductless HVACs are much cheaper than standard HVAC sets because they use less electrical power.
Ideally, it works by sucking in air from its environment and transforming it into hot and cold air, depending on your preference. The HVAC does with a thermostat that allows you to regulate how much it blows. If your house doesn’t have vents, you will still need to use your fans to distribute air.
In this article, we have highlighted about 40 days you can stay cool without using an air conditioner. From the article, you can see that it is vital that your body maintains low temperatures and that you sleep long hours to remain productive throughout the day.
Follow the above steps to keep your room cool without having to deal with the high electric bills from your
FAQs
Are There Any Health Risks?
Your body will send signal warnings, like sneezing or coughing, in case it gets too cold. Therefore, as long as you’re feeling comfortable in the cold air, there are no risks you should worry about.
Ideally, the ideal room temperature should be 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, if you go below that, you’ll likely start shivering, which is equally uncomfortable. You are also more likely to bundle yourself up, feeling much hotter afterwards.
If you have a child below two years, you should ensure your room maintains a temperature between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them safe and comfortable. Temperatures below or above that will cause them discomfort leading to a Tantrum.
What’s the Ideal Sleeping Temperature?
The ideal temperatures vary from one person to another. However, the perfect temperatures range between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can It Cause Nightmares?
No evidence shows that sleeping in a cold room will cause nightmares, so we’ll regard that statement as a myth.
However, if you are uncomfortable In your sleep, you are more likely to experience nightmares; too much or very little heat in your room can cause discomfort. As a result, this can cause you to have nightmares.
Is It Wrong To Sleep in Cold Rooms?
With the proper temperature regulations, cold rooms have several advantages you’ll not experience if you sleep in a hot room. If you don’t have any respiratory complications, you’re also less likely to get sick from the cold air, so you shouldn’t be afraid of sleeping in a cold room.
Some of the advantages of sleeping in a cold room are;
- Higher production of melatonin
- Reduced chances of insomnia
- Deep sleep
- Reduced stress levels
Why Do I Sleep Better in a Cold Room?
Cold rooms trigger the production and melatonin in your body, which helps you get a deeper sleep. Therefore, you should strive to always sleep in a cool room to give your body the rest it needs and a chance to recover from damage.
What Happens if You Stay in a Cold Room for Too Long?
If you stay in a room with temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you will likely become hypothermic. This makes it hard for the brain to think and for your muscles to move straight.
Conclusion
Getting enough rest is vital for your daily performance and your general mood. One of the easiest ways to help you get enough sleep is by ensuring you lower your room and body temperatures so that your body can produce sleep enzymes.
Cold rooms will also help your skin remain young and prevent lifestyle illnesses like diabetes.
