As we all get geared up for another scorching Austin summer, it’s important to know the connection between room temperature and a good night’s rest.

Air Temperature and Sleep

Simply put, you will feel more alert as your body temperature rises and sleepier as you body temperature drops. Thus, the temperature of your sleeping area and how comfortable you feel in it affect how well and how long you snooze. Why? Because your brain will naturally try to achieve a lower temperature when you attempt to go to sleep; like an internal thermostat. If it’s too cold or too hot, the body struggles to achieve this set point. If the room, at any point during the night, becomes uncomfortably hot or cold, you are much more likely to wake up.

Furthermore, your comfort level and bedroom temperature also affects the quality of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

What’s the Best Temperature for Sleeping?

Recommending a specific range is challenging because of the variance in what one individual perceives as comfortable versus another. Some people prefer temperatures as low as 60 degrees while other may prefer the temperature closer to 80 degrees. Outliers aside, the typical recommendation is to keep your bedroom between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are many other strategies for creating an ideal sleep environment as well. Experts from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, for instance, advise thinking of a bedroom as a cave: It should cool, quiet, and dark. Memory foam pillows, although comfortable, can retain too much heat, causing you to wake up. You might also try putting socks on your feet, as cold feet, in particular, can be very disruptive to sleep.

Bottom line, we all know our energy costs can be much higher in the summertime; however, before we give into the temptation to set the thermostat slightly higher than we would otherwise, we must always put our health first.

Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy

If you are not sleepy at bedtime, then do something else. Read a book, listen to soft music or browse through a magazine. Find something relaxing, but not stimulating, to take your mind off of worries about sleep. This will relax your body and distract your mind. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed. Find something else to do that will make you feel relaxed. If you can, do this in another room. Your bedroom should be where you go to sleep. It is not a place to go when you are bored. Once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.

Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed

This can include such things as a warm bath, light snack or a few minutes of reading.

Get up at the same time every morning

Do this even on weekends and holidays.

Avoid taking naps

If you must take a nap, try to keep it short (less than one hour). Never take a nap after 3 p.m.

Keep a regular schedule

Regular times for meals, medications, chores, and other activities help keep the inner body clock running smoothly

Other Tips

• Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, work on the computer or cell phone in bed
• Do not have any caffeine after lunch
• Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within 2-3 hours of your bedtime
• Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime
• Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either
• Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime
• You should exercise on a regular basis, but do it earlier in the day

Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry

If you are unable to do this, then find a time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system. Your bed is a place to rest, not a place to worry.

Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool

An easy way to remember this: it should remind you of a cave. While this may not sound romantic, it seems to work for bats. Bats are champion sleepers. They get about 16 hours of sleep each day. Maybe it’s because they sleep in dark, cool caves.

We have compiled a list of 10 helpful tips to help you get better sleep immediately. We recommend seeing a sleep doctor in Austin to help you further, but you can get started with our suggested items right now.

You may not be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you are having trouble sleeping:

1. Implement a sleep schedule
   Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall asleep better at night.
2. Avoid snacks before bed
   Don’t eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. Eat a light dinner about two hours before sleeping. If you’re prone to heartburn, avoid spicy or fatty foods, which can make your heartburn flare and prevent a restful sleep. Also, limit how much you drink before bed. Too much liquid can cause you to wake up repeatedly during the night for trips to the bathroom.
3. Avoid smoking & drinking before bed
   Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening. These are stimulants that can keep you awake. Smokers often experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and smoking in bed is dangerous. Avoid caffeine for eight hours before your planned bedtime. Your body doesn’t store caffeine, but it takes many hours to eliminate the stimulant and its effects. And although often believed to be a sedative, alcohol actually disrupts sleep.
4. Exercise regularly
   Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep faster and make your sleep more restful. Don’t exercise within three hours of your bedtime, however. Exercising right before bed may make getting to sleep more difficult.
5. Adjust your sleep atmosphere
   Make your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable. Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. Adjust the lighting, temperature, humidity and noise level to your preferences. Use blackout curtains, eye covers, earplugs, extra blankets, a fan, a humidifier or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
6. Avoid napping
   Try to sleep primarily at night. Daytime naps may steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to about a half-hour and make it during midafternoon. If you work nights, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight, which adjusts the body’s internal clock, doesn’t interrupt your sleep. If you have a day job and sleep at night, but still have trouble waking up, leave the window coverings open and let the sunlight help wake you up.
7. Be comfortable
   Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow. Features of a good bed are subjective and differ for each person. But make sure you have a bed that’s comfortable. If you share your bed, make sure there’s enough room for two. Children and pets are often disruptive, so you may need to set limits on how often they sleep in bed with you.
8. Set a bed time routine
   Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Do the same things each night to tell your body it’s time to wind down. This may include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music. Relaxing activities done with lowered lights can help ease the transition between wakefulness and sleepiness.
9. Sleep when you’re tired
   Go to bed when you’re tired and turn out the lights. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get up and do something else. Go back to bed when you’re tired. Don’t agonize over falling asleep. The stress will only prevent sleep.
10. Consult a doctor
    Use sleeping pills only as a last resort. Check with your doctor before taking any sleep medications. He or she can make sure the pills won’t interact with your other medications or with an existing medical condition. Your doctor can also help you determine the best dosage. If you do take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage gradually when you want to quit, and never mix alcohol and sleeping pills. If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage or discontinuing the pills.

If you’re having problems sleeping more than three times a week for a month’s time, you could have a sleep disorder and should see a sleep doctor. Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep disturbance can help get you back on the road to a good night’s sleep.

Informative websites on sleep disorders.

1. The American Sleep Apnea Association
2. The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
3. The Narcolepsy Network
4. The national heart, lung and blood institute
5. The national library of medicine
6. Mayo Clinic information on sleep and sleep disorders
7. American Academy of Sleep Medicine