Reality Upgrade

Difficulty getting to sleep can be one of the most frustrating things in the world.

With the busy lives that we all live these days, it is hard enough to find the time to get a good night’s sleep. When you finally do get the chance to go to bed, and your body won’t cooperate…well, let’s just say bad dreams would be better than no dreams at all.

The typical remedies of keeping a consistent sleep schedule, not drinking caffeine before bed, even having a glass of warm milk are all good, but new research shows that room temperature might play an even bigger role than anyone thought.

This article by the New York Times talks about new research which shows that the optimal temperature for sleep is actually very cool, around 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in this range tend to keep the body’s core temperature at a level that promotes drowsiness.

Temperatures too far above or below this can cause restlessness, and insomnia. In fact, research has shown that insomniacs typically have a higher than average core temperature, which leads to difficulty sleeping as the body struggles to achieve the right temperature.

If you are having trouble sleeping, try lowering the room temperature, and placing a bottle of warm water at your feet. The warm bottle will increase the dilation of the blood vessels in your feet, which will help your body remove heat.