Man sleeping in bed

According to Mental Health UK, 1 in 5 of us aren’t getting enough sleep. With this in mind, is it any surprise that we are always looking for tips and tricks to get better sleep wherever possible?

One common tip cited is that sleeping in a cold room can improve sleep quality and according to Dr Ritz Birah, Psychologist and Sleep Expert for Panda London, there may actually be some truth to this.

Dr Birah says: “I am frequently asked whether the temperature of our sleeping environment really affects how well we sleep.

“There is increasing evidence that sleeping in a cooler room can, in fact, improve sleep quality, but it’s not just about turning off the heating and braving the cold. Understanding the science behind this can help us optimise our sleep environment in a safe and effective way.”

So, does a colder room make for a better sleep?

Why temperature matters for sleep

Dr Birah says: “Human sleep is intimately connected to our circadian rhythm, the internal body clock that regulates when we feel alert and when we feel sleepy. A key part of this process is thermoregulation, the body’s natural regulation of core temperature.

“Normally, our core body temperature decreases slightly in the evening, reaching its lowest point in the early hours of the morning. This drop in temperature signals to the brain that it is time to sleep and helps initiate deeper stages of sleep, particularly slow-wave sleep, which is crucial for physical restoration and memory consolidation.”

This all makes sense so far, right? However, Dr Birah warns that when our........

© HuffPost