regulation.
Temperature continues to affect our sleep cycles as well. Over time, temperature has evolved as a signal for when to sleep and when to wake. As our core body temperature drops, we enter slow-wave sleep, a phase critical to our overall health. On the other hand, a room that is too warm can negatively affect both REM sleep and slow-wave sleep. Humidity levels also impact sleep quality, with higher humidity reducing the quality of REM sleep and slow-wave sleep.
Sleeping in a cooler room offers numerous benefits. It aids in the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, while preventing the rise of cortisol, the stress hormone that can disrupt sleep. A cooler room also promotes quicker sleep onset and more time spent in restorative sleep stages like REM and deep sleep. Additionally, sleeping in a cold room can activate brown fat, which supports weight management, boosts insulin sensitivity (helping
