Sleep and temperature

Seasonal sleeping and thermoregulation

Thermoregulation is the process that allows you to maintain a core body temperature. Our baseline core body temperature ranges between 36℃ and 38℃. Keeping it at this temperature is vital to how well you sleep at night. However, there are things that can get in the way of your body’s ability to regulate its temperature, such as illness and fever.

In order to combat extreme changes in temperature throughout the year, the body has certain methods that it uses. During the winter, the body shivers and your muscles produce heat as a result. Whereas in summer, the body produces sweat when you overheat to lower your body temperature. 

Although these methods may be beneficial while you are awake during the day, shivering or sweating while you are trying to sleep isn’t ideal and can lead to a bad night’s sleep. This is why it's important to make sure we regulate our body temperature depending on the season.

How to sleep in winter

Sleeping in a thermally comfortable environment is the preferable choice. This is why winter sleep can be extremely difficult, as it can get really cold during the night. If you are one of those people who finds themselves tossing and turning during the cold months, there are ways that you can warm your bedroom during the winter, such as:

• Using extra layers

• If the cold is unbearable during the night, wrapping up with extra layers can help. Weighted blankets are a great way to keep your body’s temperature regulated.

• Keep out draughts

• Blocking the areas of your home that cause draughts, such as window frames, keyholes and under doors, can help keep your bedroom warm.

• Take a warm shower/bath

• Taking a warm shower or bath right before bedtime can increase your body’s temperature before you go to sleep.

How to sleep in summer

Maintaining a lower body temperature during sleep can be extremely beneficial to our sleep quality. When it’s too hot, mainly in the summer months, it can be difficult to keep your body’s temperature cool enough to have a good rest. Our bodies will start procedures to lower and increase our temperature if it is not exactly 36.8℃. For example, if it exceeds this, we will begin to sweat.

To avoid sweating when you are trying to sleep, it is important to maintain a lower body temperature. There are ways in which you can do this during the scorching heat of the summer months, such as:

• Temperature regulating bedding

• Ventilated latex and open coil systems allow air to circulate throughout the bedding. The Emma Premium Pillow is the perfect option for this.

• Purchase a cooling mattress

• Investing in a mattress with thermosync technology will help regulate body temperature in the summer. The Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress will be sure to fix your sweaty night woes.

• Use a bedside fan

• The use of a fan will help circulate cool air around your bedroom. Fans also produce white noise, which can improve sleep quality for some people.

How to sleep in spring and autumn

Sleeping during the spring and autumn seasons can lead to mixed results. This is due to the inconsistent temperatures that are present during these seasons, especially in the UK. This makes it difficult for our bodies to maintain a regulated body temperature. However, it is still possible.

The type of duvet you use in the spring and autumn can play a big role. Each duvet has a specific tog range to determine the warmth it produces. Duvet togs range from 1 to 15, with 15 being the highest and offering maximum warmth.

For spring and autumn, a tog rating of 6 to 10.5 is ideal. If you live in a place where the temperatures are unpredictable, the Emma 4-Season Duvet is the perfect choice for you.