Log in
In winter, when cold days continue, we often hear people say, "I got into bed, but I couldn't fall asleep because it was too cold," or "I couldn't get out of bed when I woke up in the morning." Many of you probably know exactly what they mean.
These problems can be solved by skillfully adjusting the room temperature using a heating appliance.
So, how exactly should you adjust the temperature in your bedroom during the cold season? This time, we will tell you about winter sleep techniques for sleeping well in the cold winter. By reading this article, you can completely change your winter sleep habits!
1. When using heating during sleep, it should not be too cold or too hot.
In winter, the ambient temperature of the room drops, and the temperature inside the futon also drops. When you get into bed and feel cold inside the futon, your body first tries to raise its temperature. The human body reacts to cold by trying to raise its body temperature. At this time, the sympathetic nerves become excited, and the body tries to raise its temperature by moving its limbs. This awakens the brain, making it difficult to fall asleep smoothly.
Also, when the sympathetic nerves are excited, the blood vessels in the limbs constrict to prevent heat from escaping, which hinders the lowering of core body temperature. To prevent this, the key is to not feel cold when you get into bed.
Therefore, warm up your room and bedding thoroughly before going to bed. If the room is warm and you are wrapped in a warm futon, the parasympathetic nervous system will work, and your whole body will be in a relaxed state. Blood flow to your limbs will also improve, allowing heat to dissipate smoothly from your limbs, and your core body temperature will gradually drop. By preparing a warm futon, you can fall asleep calmly and happily even in winter.
2. Things you can do to get comfortable sleep in winter
It is natural to want to sleep comfortably even in the cold winter. No one wants to sleep while shivering. So, what can you do to spend your winter sleep hours as comfortably as possible? We will explain four points.
2-1. Turn off the heater when you get into bed
It's important to thoroughly warm up the room and bedding when you get into bed, but it's not ideal for the warm state to continue. A deeper sleep can be achieved when the core body temperature drops, so let the room temperature drop naturally.
To do this, turn off the heater when you get into bed. Then, the overall room temperature will gradually drop, heat will dissipate smoothly from your hands and feet, and as your core body temperature drops, you will enter a deeper sleep.
The temperature inside the futon is said to be around 33℃. Heat gradually dissipates, and the temperature inside the futon stabilizes at a temperature that prevents body heat from escaping.
Depending on the region, be careful as turning off the heater completely may make it too cold. If it gets too cold, the human body will react by trying to raise its temperature for survival, which will wake you up instead.
If it gets too cold when you turn off the heater, one option is to set the temperature lower and sleep with the heater on.
2-2. Dress warmly and keep your core warm!
Even in winter, some people sleep in thin pajamas while wrapped in a blanket. However, if the room temperature drops at night or the blanket slips off, the body can become extremely cold. If the body gets too cold, sleep can become shallow, leading to waking up in the middle of the night, or getting sick from catching a cold. Wear thick nightwear or pajamas to keep your core body warm.
Some people might think that dressing too warmly is not good because it will raise body temperature. However, if the room temperature is appropriate, heat will dissipate properly from your hands and feet, and your core body temperature will be regulated, so there's no need to worry. In winter, some people wear a belly band or heat-retaining underwear to prevent their core body from getting cold. Try these tips to keep your core body warm.
2-3. Is it okay to wear socks while sleeping?
Some people say, "I wear socks to bed because my feet get cold." This is common among women, but from a temperature regulation perspective, wearing socks hinders heat dissipation from the feet, which is not good for sleep.
Many people who wear socks to bed spend time barefoot after a warm bath because they feel warm, but then put on socks when they get into bed because their feet are cold. If you are going to wear socks, don't put them on when you get into bed. Instead, use them to keep your feet warm after a warm bath.
Tips for warming your feet
- Take a good bath and warm your feet. If you're showering, fill a basin with hot water and soak your feet to warm them thoroughly.
- Immediately put on socks after getting out of the bath to keep your feet from getting cold.
- Warm up your room and futon thoroughly before going to bed so you don't feel cold.
It is recommended to take off your socks when you get into bed. Massaging your palms and soles before going to bed is also a good idea. It improves blood circulation in your feet and alleviates coldness in your hands and feet. Try it, as you won't feel cold when you get into bed, and heat will dissipate smoothly.
Put on socks immediately after a bath to keep your warmed hands and feet from getting cold, and then take them off when you go to bed. The key is to slowly release heat inside the warmed futon.
2-4. Start your winter mornings warmly and energetically get out of bed!
In the cold winter, it's often difficult to get out of bed in the morning.
I once heard a parent say, "My child doesn't wake up easily, so I pull off their blanket to wake them up with the cold." In the end, the child jumped back into bed and couldn't get up... Now, they are reportedly reluctant to go to school.
It is a normal human reaction to protect oneself from the cold. When it's cold, we try to maintain our body temperature by wrapping ourselves in a blanket. Just thinking about the cold world outside the blanket makes our bodies shrink.
In the cold winter, turn on the heater about 30 minutes before waking up to warm the room. If the room is warm, your body will move smoothly, and you can get out of bed with a positive attitude. The feeling when you wake up affects your mood for the entire day, so raise the room temperature properly and welcome a happy winter morning.
3. For quality sleep! What is the optimal bedroom temperature in winter?
Although it varies slightly depending on individual perception and the season, the optimal bedroom temperature for sleeping in winter is around 20℃.
Below 16℃, you might feel cold and wake up, so it's ideal to keep it above 16℃. Before going to bed, warm up the bedroom by setting the temperature to 23℃ or higher. If the room is well-insulated, the temperature won't drop too much even if you turn off the heater, so it's best to turn off the heater when you go to bed to allow your body to dissipate heat properly.
If the room cannot maintain its temperature, sleep with the heater on, set to around 18-20℃. From an energy-saving perspective, you'd want to minimize heating, but to maintain sleep quality and physical condition, consider using heating effectively.
4. Winter dryness is bad for both skin and sleep! Counteract it with humidification.
In winter sleep environment management, "humidity" is as important as "temperature." In winter, humidity drops drastically. Optimal humidity is said to be 40-80%, but in winter, it can be surprisingly difficult to maintain humidity above 40%.
To increase humidity, it is best to use a humidifier. When using air conditioning for heating, the humidity drops quickly, so set the humidity higher. Even with a good humidifier, you'll probably only be able to maintain 40-50% humidity in winter.
If you don't have a humidifier, you can fill a basin with hot water and place it in the room. Warm water evaporates more easily than cold water, so placing it near a heating appliance will be effective. In hotels, it's recommended to fill the bathtub with hot water and leave the door open.
When humidity drops, the skin dries out, and it loses its moisture. Furthermore, a dry throat can make you prone to colds, and a dry nose or throat can cause you to wake up in the middle of sleep.
Also, even in winter, you can become dehydrated from sweat while sleeping. Dehydration increases the risk of cerebral infarction. As strong dryness promotes dehydration, maintain humidity to prevent winter dehydration.
5. Essential for sleep! Get cozy in winter with special bedding.
In winter, it gets cold, so some people sleep with many layers of blankets. However, when there are too many blankets, the weight increases, and the pressure from above makes it difficult to move the body.
Also, some people sleep on a blanket, but if the blanket becomes too fluffy, it makes it difficult to turn over, which is not ideal. While placing a blanket itself is not an issue, ensure it doesn't become too soft.
The ideal mattress is a slightly firm and elastic mattress, with a light and insulating duvet. Although a bit expensive, down duvets are light and excellent at retaining heat, making them a rational choice for sleep.
While questions often arise about whether electric blankets or hot water bottles (warmers) should be used, continuous use at high temperatures is not ideal as it can hinder the body's temperature from dropping. Electric blankets and hot water bottles should only be used to warm the futon and help you fall asleep. It's best to turn off the electricity or lower the temperature as soon as you fall asleep.
The basic rule is not just to keep the inside of the futon warm, but to prevent the overall room temperature from dropping too low.
Summary: For sleep on cold days, use heating effectively!
Even on cold winter days, you can get quality sleep by adjusting your heating well and managing the temperature appropriately. Just remember these two basic points:
- Be warm when you go to bed and when you wake up.
- Allow your body temperature to drop smoothly after falling asleep.
table of contents
