Sleeping in a cold room is better for you, say experts

For years, many people have been looking for ways to get the best night’s sleep possible. From TikTok sleep hacks to drinking the best teas before bed, we’ve tried it all, but it turns out the answer could be as simple as turning down the temperature in your bedroom.

Yes, you’ve read that right. According to sleep experts, sleeping in a cold room is actually better for sleep quality and your overall health and wellbeing. During the winter, sleeping in a cold room isn’t exactly something people want to be doing, especially this year as the UK is being hit with freezing temperatures, frost and snow.

Despite how hard it is to get out of bed when it’s cold, sleeping in a cold room overnight is extremely beneficial for sleep duration, insomnia, anxiety and ageing. So, if you’ve been avoiding putting on the heating in an effort to save money this year, sleeping in a colder room has many benefits that you might appreciate in the long run.

Keep reading to find out why sleeping in a cold room is better for you. If you’d rather stay toasty warm in bed this winter, check out the best mattress or invest in the best duvet with a high tog rating.

5 benefits to sleeping in a cold room

You’re probably reading this thinking “why would I voluntarily sleep in a cold room?” and I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that. I hate being cold and if I had to choose between sleeping in a cold or hot room, I’d definitely pick the latter. However, putting my feelings aside, it has been scientifically proven that sleeping in a colder room can help you fall asleep quicker, slow down ageing and speed up your metabolism. Let’s look into 5 main benefits of sleeping in a cold room.

Fall asleep faster

When we’re getting ready to go to sleep, our body temperature naturally drops which signals to the brain and body that it’s time to get some rest. This is one of the many reasons why you shouldn’t exercise too close to your bedtime as it takes your temperature and heart rate longer to slow down which keeps you up longer. By keeping your bedroom at a cooler temperature, this reinforces your body’s natural instinct for sleep and triggers the sleep hormone, melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy. Altogether, studies have proven that this helps you fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply and wake up less times during the night.

Speed up metabolism

Sleeping in a cold room has also been proven to speed up your metabolism which helps you burn calories quicker and boosts the production of growth hormones. According to Sleepme, this is because the body burns ‘brown fat’ which is a type of body fat that keeps you warm when you’re cold, stores energy and burns calories. Brown fat activates in colder temperatures so by sleeping in a cold room you naturally generate heat while you sleep. Other studies have shown that this boost in metabolism helps lower the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, while also improving hormone production which can help repair injuries.

Slows ageing

As I mentioned previously, colder rooms encourage the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Alongside regulating your sleep-wake cycle, melatonin is also an anti-ageing hormone that helps slow down the ageing process and makes your skin look and feel healthier. Melatonin is also said to help enhance your mood and brain health, aid weight loss and regulate periods.

Reduces stress

Stress and anxiety are two things that keep people up at night. But by getting quality sleep every night, which sleeping in a cold room promises to do, this has an amazing effect on your stress levels. If you’re finding it hard to sleep because of stress, see our 6 tips on how to sleep better when you’re feeling anxious.

Enhances mood

Similar to reducing stress, sleeping in a colder room can enhance your mood and make you feel ready to take on the day. As you’re getting better sleep, you’re more likely to wake up in a better mood and feel more productive. With the extra melatonin in your body, this also helps boost the production of serotonin, aka the ‘feel-good’ hormone which makes you feel happier. Win win!

Of course, I’m not recommending that you sleep in the freezing cold with all your windows open, especially not during the winter. But, by dropping the temperature of your room a little bit by adjusting your heating, switching on a fan or investing in a cooling mattress topper, this can have a positive impact on your sleep, so it’s worth a try!