Simple heating hack that could improve your sleep and save money on bills
The UK is about to take a turn for the chilly. The Met Office has suggested swathes of the UK could be set for a cold snap in the next few days, with many areas also told to prepare for the possibility of waking up to a dusting of snow.
At the same time, many Brits are also still battling the cost of living crisis with new research revealing 53% of UK adults plan to take measures to afford rising energy costs this winter.
The average household energy bill increased by £149 a year from October 1 when the industry regulator raised its price cap to £1,717 for a typical dual-fuel household in England, Scotland and Wales.
While, of course, it makes sense to change your heating habits to help afford rising energy costs, the temperature of our homes can have a knock-on effect on our health and wellbeing, particularly when it comes to sleep.
Thankfully, experts have shared a simple heating tip that could help you get a better night's sleep, while also saving money on energy bills.
Llewellyn Kinch CEO at MakeMyHouseGreen suggests that by reducing your thermostat to 18°C your home will not only be at the ideal temperature for a good night's rest, but you could also see your heating costs drop.
It’s widely quoted by scientists, sleep experts and the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the ideal temperature to get a good night’s sleep is 18°C. This isn't a figure pulled out of thin air, but a temperature that's been found to support the body’s natural cool-down process as we drift off to sleep.
According to the European Commission, the average household tends to keep their heating set around 22°C during the cold winter months, which may feel cosy but is likely to push your energy bills higher.
However, a simple reduction of this temperature to the scientifically backed 18°C, especially during the night, can lead to significant savings on your heating bills. "In fact, making this small adjustment can save an impressive 18% annually, according to our calculations," Kinch adds.
By reducing your energy consumption, sleeping at 18°C can also help reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable environment.
Why is 18°C the ideal temperature for sleep?
The temperature of your bedroom can make a significant difference to your sleep quality. According to Lisa Artis, sleep expert and deputy CEO at The Sleep Charity, the ideal bedroom temperature is between 16-18 degrees.
"Our core body temperature drops slightly during sleep and a cooler room helps to support this process, while higher temperatures make it difficult to fall asleep," she explains. "If your sleep environment aligns with this temperature, it allows your body to maintain a restful state, which can lead to deeper, more restorative sleep cycles."
Dr Kat Lederle, sleep and circadian rhythm specialist at The London General Practice, says the process of our body lowering its temperature for sleep starts in the evening and continues during into the night.
"The way the body does this is by giving off heat to the environment via feet and hands, for example," she explains. "But to get the heat out of the body, we need a temperature gradient, i.e. the environment has to be cooler."
Though the optimum setting is around 18 degrees, Dr Lederle says some variation might occur between people.
“Things might be different when we're older," she adds. "That's because older people find it more difficult to regulate their skin temperature."
The right sleep environment, which includes temperature, helps us to get quality sleep, which is important for everyone, whatever our age.
“Alertness, cognitive performance, our interactions with others, our skin, all of these benefit from us getting the sleep we need," Dr Lederle explains. "For skin, timing of sleep also matters, skin cells have little clocks inside them which help them know when to do what, e.g. during the evening and night, absorption rate goes up.”
When to raise or lower your thermostat
Although 16-18 degrees is optimal for most adults, there are instances where you may want to adjust the temperature.
"Infants and young children may need a slightly warmer environment, around 19-20 degrees – to avoid any risk of chill, as they cannot regulate their body temperature as well as adults," Artis explains.
"Similarly, elderly people or those with certain medical conditions may feel more comfortable with a minor increase in room warmth.
"But, for the majority of adults, maintaining an 18-degree temperature setting can enhance sleep quality and overall wellbeing, providing you’re also comfortably covered with suitable bedding for the season.”
Read more about sleep:
What an 24 extra minutes in bed does for your health (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
The exact time you should go to bed, according to sleep experts (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
Sam Thompson prescribed sleeping pills before I’m A Celebrity spin-off (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
