The ideal room temperature for sleep is anywhere from 60°F to 65°F (15.6°C to 18.3°C.) However, everyone is different, and this temperature may not work for you. Infants and older adults may also need a slightly warmer room temperature.
Your body’s temperature decreases before sleep. A cool, but not cold, room will help you settle into and maintain sleep throughout the night.
Infants may need a slightly higher room temperature for sleep, but avoid turning up the thermometer more than a few extra degrees. This it to prevent them from getting overheated.
Why this temperature?
A room temperature between 60°F and 65°F (15.5°C and 18.3°C) is optimal because it relates to your body’s internal temperature regulation.
Your body’s internal temperature shifts during a 24-hour period. You begin to shed warmth around the time you go to bed and continue to cool down until reaching your low point near daybreak.
Your body cools by expanding the blood vessels in your skin. When your temperature starts to drop at night, you may notice that your hands and feet get warmer initially. This is because your body is letting heat escape through them to reduce your core temperature. Your hands and feet will eventually reach the same temperature as your torso.
If the temperature in your sleeping environment is too hot or cold, it may affect the drop in your body’s internal temperature and cause you to have disrupted sleep.
Does it differ for babies and older adults?
Babies
You do not need to create a vastly different sleeping environment for babies.
You may consider bumping up the thermostat a degree or two, but they should be fine in a room anywhere between 60°F and 68°F (16°C and 20°C) as long as they are clothed properly.
In general, you should avoid higher temperatures, as overheating may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
There are a couple reasons why infants may need to sleep in a room that is a bit warmer than your own:
they cannot regulate their temperatures as easily as adults
they do not sleep with as many covers to reduce the risk of SIDS
You should put your infant to sleep in nothing more than a breathable sleeper and a sleep sack. Sleep sacks can be made out of cooler or warmer material, and you can swap them out with the seasons.
Your infant should not wear a hat indoors, as it affects internal body temperature and may inhibit an infant’s ability to get cool.
You can make sure your baby is not too hot by touching the back of their neck or their stomach during sleep. If their skin is hot or sweaty, remove a layer of clothing.
Older adults
A 2023 study found that the ideal sleep temperature for older adults ranged between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
The researchers noted that sleep was the most efficient and restful between these temperatures, with a 5 to 10% drop in sleep efficiency when the temperature was increased from 25°C to 30°C.
Too hot or too cold
Temperatures outside of comfortable sleeping conditions can impact your overall sleep in different ways.
Too hot
You may notice you have restless sleep when the room temperature is above the optimum sleeping temperature.
This restless sleep in a hot room could be caused by a decrease in your slow wave sleep or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
Too much humidity, in addition to heat, may also contribute to sleep problems.
Too cold
A 2018 study notes that being too cold will not affect your sleep cycle as much as being too warm.
Still, it may make it more difficult to fall asleep and impact other aspects of your health. If you’re too cold during sleep, try turning up the thermostat a few degrees or adding more layers to your bedding.
Other sleep tips
Regulate the room temperature
There are several ways to make sure your room stays between 60°F and 65°F (15.6°C and 18.3°C) at night:
Set your home’s thermostat to drop during your sleeping hours. You may keep your thermometer slightly warmer during the day, but set the thermometer cooler at night.
Open windows or turn on the air conditioning or heat if the temperature rises or falls outside of the ideal sleeping range. You may even be able to install a thermostat in your room to regulate the temperature in your sleeping quarters.
Run an air conditioner or fan during warm months to cool the temperature and circulate the air.
Swap out bedding when the seasons change
The cozy down comforter you use in January may not be appropriate when summer hits. Keep a lightweight blanket to use on your bed during hot months to avoid overheating.
Likewise, a bitter cold snap may require you to add another blanket on top of your comforter for a few days or weeks for more warmth.
The takeaway
Ideally, your room should be between 60°F and 65°F (15.6°C and 18.3°C). However, everyone is different, and this temperature may not work for you.
Infants should also be able to sleep in these temperatures with the proper sleep attire. You may consider bumping up the temperature a degree or two for infants, but avoid letting them get too hot.
Moreover, older adults may need warmer temperatures, between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C), for optimal sleep.
You can ensure your room temperature stays within the ideal range by setting your thermostat to the right temperature before going to bed and leaving extra blankets at the foot of your bed to swap if you get too hot or too cold.