Air conditioners are more than useful during the summer. They keep our homes cool during the hot and humid months, making the heat bearable. However, air conditioners serve a greater purpose than helping you beat the summertime heat. By turning your air conditioner on at night and slightly decreasing the temperature of your bedroom, you are more likely to get a good night’s sleep.
Falling asleep at a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for a variety of reasons. Trying to sleep at a temperature within this range eliminates the need for your body to regulate its own temperature, because the air in the room is already in a perfectly cool condition.
We’ve all experienced those times in which we wake up in the middle of the night, either to pull an extra blanket over ourselves for warmth or to shake our comforter off because it’s uncomfortably warm. Keeping the room too hot or too cold will force your body to stay awake trying to adjust itself to the less-than-ideal conditions. That’s why it’s important to crank up those air conditioners if you want to enjoy a deep, peaceful sleep.
Before doing so, it’s important to make sure they are properly maintained, like making sure the air filters and coils are cleaned for providing healthy airflow.
- Seasonal Checklist For Your HVAC System via The BP Group
Sleep More, Age Less
“Your skin, and your whole body, goes into repair mode when you sleep.”
ー Doris J Day, author of Forget the Facelift
There are more benefits to sleeping in cool temperatures than simply “getting a good night’s sleep.” Temperatures between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit encourage the body to release melatonin, a hormone that fights against the symptoms of aging. Pesky wrinkles and age spots can be held at bay by melatonin, so be sure to keep cool to release more of this hormone. Some of the benefits last beyond the nighttime and can affect your body’s health during the day. Otherwise, you’re just taking steps in the opposite direction of health.
Staying cool to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep is important because there are so many benefits associated with regular sleeping patterns and getting an uninterrupted rest. One of these benefits is a longer and sharper attention span. Do you ever find yourself zoning out at school or during the workday, unable to concentrate? Your problem could be lack of sleep, because a good night’s sleep should make you more attentive and ready to focus.
Sleep and Weight Loss
Better sleep can also help you lose weight. If you have a healthy sleeping pattern as well as good dietary and exercise habits, you are more likely to lose unwanted fat. If you have good dietary and exercise habits but irregular sleeping patterns, you are more likely to lose weight in the form of muscle mass instead. A lot of people don’t understand the science behind weight loss, and blindly assume that any kind of lost weight is good. However, maintaining your muscle mass and concentrating on burning bad fat is important. A consistent, peaceful sleeping pattern can help with that.
Better Sleep Enhances Your Mood
Improving your overall mood for the day is another benefit of getting a good night’s sleep. Healthy sleeping patterns will not magically change your personality, but a restless sleep leads to exhausted and cranky mindsets. If you are able to enjoy a peaceful night of sleep, you are more likely to be able to take on the day with a positive and motivated mindset. We all know those people who can’t properly function or speak to people before downing two cups of coffee; a good night’s sleep will help make sure you are not that person.
In summary, sleeping in cooler temperatures is good for your physical and mental health, and overall wellness. Releasing melatonin, burning more calories, and helping you get a good night’s sleep ‒ and therefore an improved mindset ‒ are a few of the benefits you should keep in mind. So turn on those air conditioners and stay cool! The same goes for the beginning of fall. Warm days can still sneak in. To take full advantage of these health benefits, learn about what needs to be done to keep your unit efficient and healthy.
Featured photo credit: Pexels via pexels.com
