Sleep In A Cold Room And Reap These 8 Health Benefits
Sleeping in a hammock on a beach in a sweltering evening sounds fun, romantic even. But the back pain from a foam-less hanging bed and the uncomfortably hot atmosphere is not for everyone. Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to fall and stay asleep on hot summer nights? Aside from the sweat trickling down your forehead, the humidity may prevent you from reaching the onset of sleep. Sleeping in a cold room, according to a long line of studies, facilitates sleepiness and help the body lose weight in the process.
Here are 8 benefits of sleeping in a cooler room and some tips to help you get the quality zzz's you deserve.
Induce a restful sleep
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The Harvard Medical School explains that the body loses some heat to the environment as sleep sets in. It's believed that this drop in temperature helps induce sleep. As you enter the deeper stages of sleep, your body temperature is slightly reduced until you read your Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep in which body temperature drops to its lowest point. REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. This stage is important in tissue repairs, bone and muscle growth and memory consolidation. Sleeping in a cool room with a central temperature of 15-19 degrees Celsius can help your body lose heat and induce sleep more easily.
Aside from turning on your air conditioning, you can also induce sleep on Uratex Philippines' Senso Memory Ultima. This premier mattress is made of memory foam infused with gel beads that absorb heat. It can lower your temperature by 2 Celsius lower than other memory foams.
Lose weight and help insomniacs get a good night's sleep
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In a study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health, researchers found that sleeping in a cold room can help the body lose weight. The research involved male participants who dozed off under different room temperatures: one month at 18 Celsius, two months at 23 Celsius and one month at 27 Celsius. The findings showed that the metabolism of the participants sped up because of their increased amount of brown fat when they slept at cold temperatures. Brown fat burns calories. “These were all healthy young men to start with, but just by sleeping in a colder room, they gained metabolic advantages that could, over time, lessen their risk for diabetes and other metabolic problems,” said senior author Dr. Francesco S. Celi.
A study by the University of South Australia suggests that a cool bedroom can help people suffering from insomnia. Research fellow Dr. Cameron Van den Heuvel explains that temperature regulation plays a significant role in sleep onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia. In the former, sufferers take two to four hours to fall asleep while in the latter, insomniacs fall asleep easily but wake up multiple times in the night. Because insomniacs have a warmer core body temperature, they have to wait for their bodies to lose the heat that's keeping them awake or interrupting their sleep. A cold room can aid in helping the body drop its temperature.
Improve melatonin production and get an uninterrupted sleep
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One of the benefits of sleeping in a cooler room is the easier production of the sleep hormones melatonin. Studies show that keeping your bedroom temperature no higher than 21 Celsius can improve and protect your melatonin production. This hormone not only helps you sleep better. It can also reduce inflammation, protect against cognitive decline and lift the mood.
Quality sleep in not only attained by being able to doze off easily. It also involves a reaching the deepest stages of slumber. An uncomfortably warm sleeping environment, according to past researchers, can increase wakefulness and decrease slow wave sleep. Slow wave sleep involve the 3rd and 4th stages of non-REM sleep believed to play an important role in cerebral restoration and recovery in humans and in the maintenance and consolidation of sleep.
Receive anti-aging benefits and boost growth hormones
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The effects of sleep deprivation is manifest on a person's appearance. One who sleeps for less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours per night have greater amount of fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles under their eyes. “Sleep is a time for the body to heal, renew and eliminate toxins from the skin,” according to Dr. Guy Meadows, a leading UK sleep specialist. Sleeping in a cold room boosts the production of melatonin, which is not only a sleep hormone but also a powerful antioxidant.
Sleep in a comfortably cool room to allow healthy growth hormone secretion. This hormone, which is naturally produced in the pituitary gland, is significant in cell regeneration, muscle growth and better fracture healing. Moreover, growth hormones can help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Keep a healthy vaginal flora
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Is it better sleep in a cool or a warm room? Lowering the temperature offers a special benefit for women. Dr. Nicole Prause of the University of California Los Angeles said that sleeping in a cold room, preferably naked, can prevent vaginal infections. Bacteria multiply in warm and moist environments and increases a woman's risk to fungal infection.
A pregnant woman typically have hard time achieving quality sleep because of changes in her body. She experiences pelvic and leg cramping, breast swelling, and back pain. As her tummy expands, finding a comfortable sleeping position gets tougher. Uratex's Senso Memory Cervical Pillow can help through these challenges. This premium pillow gently molds to the shape of the head, providing relief to the head, neck and shoulders. For additional comfort, lay a Senso Memory Foam Mattress Topper on your mattress. Its visco-elastic foam provides contouring support that improves blood circulation and distributes body pressure.
Quality sleep is achievable regardless of the climate. The warm air on summer nights shouldn't interfere with your sleep. You can lower your bedroom temperature by turning on your air conditioning or fan. You can also use an innovative mattress that absorbs heat.