Whether you like to ramp the heating up or open all the windows and snuggle up under a big duvet, everybody has their own unique sleeping patterns. But according to a new study, those who like it colder are healthier.
Dr Christopher Winter is a sleep specialist, neurologist and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It, so we reckon he's a pretty solid source when it comes to all matters snooze related. And after working with professional athletes for over a decade, he's discovered that keeping your thermostat between 60-67 degrees F/15.5-20 degrees C is the optimum temperature to ensure you get a good night's sleep.
"Temperature can be the difference between a sound night of sleep and a fitful night that leaves you tired the next day," he said on his Huffington Post blog.
"The temperature at which an individual sleeps becomes very important as the ability to shed heat and feel cool can influence how successful and individual will be in terms of falling asleep."
But why, we hear you ask. Let us tell you.
Our bodies have a natural 24-hour cycle in which our temperatures peak in the late afternoon and fall to their lowest points at around 5am, but when our body temperatures drop we find it easier to fall asleep. That's why when temperatures fall below or climb above that range you're more likely to toss and turn or wake up throughout the night.
If a full eight hours isn't enough to convince you to turn the heating right down, what if we told you sleeping in a cold room could also make you look younger and lose weight?
According to naturopathic doctor and bestselling author Natasha Turner, when your body is cooler it both releases a growth hormone and decreases your stress hormone which together can help you shed the pounds.
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What's more, it also releases the anti-aging hormone melatonin which will help you look and feel younger.
We can't think of a better excuse that that.
Featured Image Credit: PexelsTopics: Life News, Real, Sleep, Health