What’s the best temperature for sleep? How air quality affects sleep

Given that we spend a third of our lives sleeping (if we’re getting those golden eight hours a night), it’s important that our shut-eye time is quality time – and the bedroom environment has a huge part to play. It makes sense that improving the air quality in your home  has a direct link with improving sleep quality, so read on to learn all about the impact of sleeping in a dry room and the ideal sleeping temperature.

Best temperature for sleep¹

Have you ever tossed and turned on a hot summer’s night, or been shivering away on a cold winter’s evening? Air temperature has an impact on REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, so getting the temperature just right in the bedroom is key, but what exactly is ‘just right’?

• If your bedroom is 12°C or colder, it’s likely you’ll find it difficult to get to sleep.
• If your bedroom is over 24°C you’ll probably be too restless to sleep well.
• The ideal sleeping temperature is 16-18°C. That might sound on the chilly side, but your body temperature drops in the evening, in preparation for sleep.

Bear in mind that the elderly and young children often need a slightly warmer bedroom. A room thermometer can be helpful to work out whether a room is the right temperature for its occupants.

That’s ideal bedroom temperature sorted, but what about the relationship between humidity and sleep quality – what’s the best balance of not-too-moist and not-too-dry air?

The impact of sleeping in a dry room: what’s the right humidity level?²

What is the link between humidity and sleep quality? Here are a few facts about bedroom humidity you should be aware of.

• Anyone who’s woken up with dry nasal passages and a dry throat will know the consequence of excessively dry air in bedroom at night.
• Very dry air can also cause dry skin and increase the chance of respiratory illnesses.
• It’s not just very low humidity that’s a problem – excessively high humidity (over 70%) is also an issue, as it can cause mould and encourage dust mites.
• The ideal level is 30-60% humidity. Once you know how to measure humidity levels at home you can figure out where you’re at, and what you might need to change.
• If you have overly dry air in bedroom at night, there are various ways to improve humidity levels in your home, like installing some helpful houseplants, or using a humidifier.

The 2-in-1 Air Purifier and Humidifier Series 3000i can also help protect you against the discomfort of dry air, while also cleaning the air of harmful gases, particles, bacteria, and viruses.