Study reveals the ideal temperature for getting a good night’s sleep

Findings underscore the potential impact of climate crisis on sleep quality in older adults

Scientists have found the ideal nighttime bedroom temperatures in which older adults can get their most restful sleep.

Previous research has shown that older adults often experience inadequate, restless and disrupted sleep.

And the findings of the current research, published recently in the journal Science of The Total Environment, also underscore the potential impact of the climate crisis on sleep quality in older adults, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status.

This in turn influences many of their health outcomes such as cognitive and physical function, mood and affect, irritability and reaction to stress, productivity, diabetes management and risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists, including those from Harvard Medical School in the US, have found in their current research that sleep can be most efficient and restful for older adults when nighttime bedroom temperatures are between 20-25 degrees Celsius.

The study also observed an overall trend of about 5-10 per cent drop in sleep efficiency once the nighttime ambient temperature increased from 25-30C.

While poor sleep is disproportionately more common among older adults, research on its causes has not focused substantially on the environment the person sleeps in, said scientists.

In the latest study, scientists examined the association between bedroom nighttime temperature and sleep quality in a sample of community-dwelling older adults.

They monitored sleep duration, efficiency and restlessness of the participants using wearable sleep monitors and environmental sensors over an extended period within their homes, while controlling for potential confounders and covariates.

Overall, researchers collected nearly 11,000 person-nights of sleep and environmental data from 50 older adults.

“These results highlight the potential to enhance sleep quality in older adults by optimizing home thermal environments and emphasizing the importance of personalized temperature adjustments based on individual needs and circumstances,” study lead scientist Amir Baniassadi said in a statement.

“Our study underscores the potential impact of climate change on sleep quality in older adults, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status,” the scientist said.

In further studies, scientists plan to continue this line of work by focusing on the potential impact of the climate crisis on sleep in low-income older adults, and develop interventions to optimise their environment.