Bedroom temperature and the choice of bedding

Short answer: Seventeen to nineteen degrees is the recommendation. If your bedroom is above or below that, adjust with the duvet and the cover rather than the thermostat.

Why cool is better

The body has to lower its core temperature by a degree to fall asleep. A cool room helps that process. A warm room delays it, and you lie awake longer without knowing why.

Adjust with the layers

If the room is cold, choose a heavier duvet rather than turning up the heating. If it is warm, choose a thinner sheet and a light duvet. See bamboo bedding.

The sheet against the skin

Bamboo viscose carries heat away from the skin and makes a warm room more bearable without making a cold room colder. See bamboo sheets and bamboo fitted sheets.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ideal sleeping temperature

Seventeen to nineteen degrees for most adults.

Should the window be open

Fresh air helps. Avoid a direct draught onto your head.

Why do you wake in the night

Often because the room or the duvet is too warm for the body to cool down.