Best Temperature for Sleep

Temperature tips for different sleepers and life stages The Ideal Range (and How to Find Yours)

Whether you’re sleeping under a blanket that retains heat like it’s batting down winter in the Midwest or in a room that’s just a little bit hotter than ideal, it only takes a few things to go wrong.

Temperature is among the easiest sleep levers to tweak, requiring no new routine or major lifestyle change. You set it once, and then allow your body to do what it already craves during the night: cool off.

So, what’s the best temperature for sleep? Most adults sleep best in a cool bedroom. Here, you’ll find the ideal range, how to determine your own perfect temperature, and a few tips for bedrooms that skew either overwarm or chilly.

What is the best temperature for sleep for most adults?

For most adults, the best bedroom temperature for sleep is 60 to 67°F (15.5 to 19.5°C). That range shows up again and again in sleep guidance because it supports your body’s normal overnight cooling. The Sleep Foundation’s guide to the best temperature for sleep lands in this neighborhood, and many clinicians echo it.

That said, there’s not a “best” number that’s magic for every body, home, and season. Consider 60 to 67°F the starter lane on the highway. From there, comfort rules.

Sometimes a little goes a long way. If you’ve been sleeping at 72 degrees, the number dropping to 69 may sound refreshing. If your room is already cool, dropping only 2 to 3°F can cut tossing and turning.

Why a cooler room helps you fall asleep and stay asleep

At night, your core body temperature naturally dips in preparation for sleep. It’s so much like a dimmer switch for every part of your system. A cooler room facilitates that decline, and it can help with dozing off in the first place as well as staying asleep.

Heat pushes the other direction. Jeannitson George, an assistant professor of respiratory therapy at Texas State University in San Marcos, said that when your room is warm, your body has to work harder to lose heat. You might be overheating and sweating, waking up more frequently, or kind of hovering in a lighter sleep because you’re uncomfortable. A lot of people say they feel tired yet also “wired,” especially after waking up in the middle of the night.

Too cold can be an issue, too, but for many sleepers heat is the bigger disrupter. Cold is usually fixable by making the person warm (socks, another layer). Heat is trickier, because there’s only so much clothing you can shed before you’re still a little sticky.

Signs your bedroom is too warm or too cold

Your body usually tells you the truth before your sleep tracker does. Look for patterns, not one-off nights.

If it’s too warm	If it’s too cold
Sweating or damp sheets	Shivering or clenched jaw
Tossing and turning	Tense shoulders
Waking up around 3 a.m. overheated	Cold feet that won’t warm up
Feeling “wired” when you wake	Waking because you can’t get comfy
Thirsty, dry mouth, stuffy air	Curling up tight all night

One practical rule: change only one thing at a time. If you adjust the thermostat, swap blankets, and add a fan all at once, you won’t know what helped.

How to find your personal sleep temperature sweet spot

Room temperature isn’t one-size-fits-all. That sweet spot could vary depending on your body size, hormones, levels of stress, bedding, or the type of mattress you are sleeping on—and even where you live. Humidity and airflow count for something as well, which is why two bedrooms at 67°F can feel totally different.

So instead of guessing forever, take an experimental attitude. You aren’t attempting to “optimize” your existence; you’re trying to prevent waking up sweaty, tense or alert at 2:47 a.m.

Start with 65°F, then adjust in small steps

A simple 7-night plan works well because it’s long enough to spot patterns but short enough that you’ll actually do it.

• Nights 1 to 2: Set the bedroom to about 65°F. Keep bedding and pajamas the same.
• Nights 3 to 4: Adjust by 1 to 2°F based on what you felt (hot: go cooler, cold: go warmer).
• Nights 5 to 7: Adjust once more if needed, again by 1 to 2°F.

Each morning, write three quick notes (in your phone is fine):

• How long it took to fall asleep
• How many times you remember waking up
• How rested you feel (a simple 1 to 5 score)

Try to keep your bedtime, alcohol, and caffeine steady during the test. Otherwise, you’ll blame the thermostat for what was really a late latte.

If you want a clinical reference point, the Cleveland Clinic overview of ideal sleeping temperature lines up with the same cool range for most adults, and it also calls out how sleeping too hot or too cold can disrupt rest.

Don’t ignore humidity, airflow, and what’s on your bed

Temperature is the headline, but humidity and airflow are often the hidden reason you still feel uncomfortable.

If the air is humid, sweat doesn’t evaporate well, so you feel warmer than the thermostat says. If the air is stale, your body can feel “trapped” under the covers even in a cool room.

A few plain fixes that work:

• Use a fan for air movement, even if it’s not blasting directly on you.
• If it’s safe and your area allows it, crack a window for fresh air.
• Choose breathable sheets like cotton or linen (some bamboo fabrics also feel cool).
• If you run hot, swap a heavy comforter for a lighter blanket and layer only if needed.

Also consider your mattress and pillow. Foam can hold heat, and some pillows trap warmth right around your face and neck. Sometimes the easiest fix isn’t changing the whole room; it’s changing what touches your skin.

For a deeper look at why temperature changes sleep stages and wake-ups, this Psychology Today explanation of temperature’s role in sleep quality offers helpful context in plain language.

Temperature tips for different sleepers and life stages

The goal stays the same: steady comfort that supports overnight cooling. What changes is how sensitive someone may be to heat loss, sweat, or drafts.

Hot sleepers, night sweats, and menopause

If you regularly wake up overheated, aim for the cooler end of the adult range, around 60 to 65°F. For many people, that’s the difference between waking up sticky and sleeping through.

Try these steps first because they’re fast and cheap:

• Light layers you can remove quickly
• Moisture-wicking pajamas if sweat wakes you up
• A fan aimed across the bed (not necessarily at your face)
• A cooler pillow, or at least a breathable pillow cover
• A spare T-shirt nearby so you don’t fully wake up searching for clothes

Food and drinks can be significant, too. You might feel drowsy after drinking alcohol, but it can boost body heat and wake you up later on. Late, spicy eating can do something similar to some.

If your room is already cool but a warm cover causes you to overheat, it’s probably an insulation issue. Thick mattress toppers, heavy comforters, and tight-weave sheets can behave like a sealed sleeping bag, trapping in warmth.

Infants, kids, and older adults: what changes and what stays the same

Infants: Aim to make the room comfortably cool, typically at the higher end of what an adult might prefer (for example, up to about 69 degrees Fahrenheit or so, depending on the home). Return to sleep basics that are safe: no loose blankets, use appropriate sleepwear in place of multiple layers of bedding. If you’re uncertain, defer to your pediatrician and see how your baby is responding with comfort cues—sweat around the neck, flushed skin, or cold chest and hands.

Kids: Many kids sleep fine in a temperature range similar to their parents’, but do kick off covers and wake cold or tend to be sweaty after active evenings. For big thermostat adjustments, begin in a cool room and adjust with bedding.

Older adults: And there is some evidence that older adults may do a little better with a little more warmth than young adults. They are also more prone to become cold due to altered circulation and thermoregulation with aging. Regardless, overheating can interfere with sleep at any age, so the safest bet is to layer the person who needs warmth rather than to overheat the room.

If you’re caring for someone else, look for simple cues: are they sweating, restless, or throwing covers off? Or are they curled tight with cold feet? Adjust bedding first, then adjust the thermostat.

Quick fixes to keep your bedroom at the right temperature all night

You can pick the perfect number and still wake up uncomfortable if your room swings hot at midnight or turns cold near morning. These fixes help hold a steady feel without turning your utility bill into a horror story.

Summer: cool the room without freezing the whole house

Hot nights can feel personal, like your bedroom is targeting you. In reality, it’s usually heat stored in walls, windows, and bedding.

Try this order:

• Close blinds or curtains during the day to block sun.
• If you have AC, run it a bit earlier in the evening to pull temps down before bedtime.
• Use a fan to keep air moving, especially if the room feels stuffy.
• Take a warm (not cold) shower before bed. It can help your body cool afterward.
• Switch to lighter bedding and breathable sheets.

A common mistake is cranking the thermostat right at bedtime and expecting instant comfort. Your space may need time to shed heat. Lowering the temperature earlier often works better.

For more everyday guidance on why a too-warm room wrecks sleep and what to do about it, Real Simple’s overview of the ideal temperature for sleep is a useful read.

Winter: stay warm without overheating

Winter sleep problems often come from a mismatch: your room is cool (good), but your feet are cold (bad). You don’t need to turn your bedroom into a sauna; you need targeted warmth.

A few reliable options:

• Wear cozy socks if your feet keep you awake.
• Add a light layer, like a long-sleeve tee, before adding a heavy comforter.
• Warm the bed with a hot water bottle, then remove it if you start to sweat.
• If you use a space heater, use it safely and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep it clear of bedding, and consider warming the room briefly before you get in, instead of running it unattended all night.

If you wake up overheated in winter, it’s often the bedding, not the thermostat. Thick comforters can trap heat after your body finally settles into sleep.

Conclusion

Most adults sleep in a bedroom that is kept at 60-67°F (15.5-19.5°C). The best temperature for sleep is one that facilitates gradual cooling, enabling your body to stay comfortable through the night.

If you’d like a straightforward next step, turn that thermostat down to 65°F tonight. Wait two nights and then modify it by 1 to 2 degrees based on how you feel. Before you go and overhaul your entire home, consider changing what’s on the bed if you’re still waking up hot or cold.

Better sleep often comes from small fixes done consistently. Comfort is the point, not perfection.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes