What Is The Best Temperature For Children's Sleep?

What Is The Best Temperature For Children's Sleep?

What Is The Best Temperature For Children's Sleep?

Thermal temperature is possibly the most underappreciated factor in achieving a good night’s sleep. We’re all familiar with how hard it is to sleep through hot summer nights, even from a young age. Having a cool sleeping environment not only helps children get to sleep easier, it also helps them achieve better quality sleep. Better quality of sleep means a better quality of life, and ensures that your child will be prepared for whatever tomorrow brings.

 

If you want to know the best temperature to help your child sleep, and learn a few tactics to help them sleep, then this article is for you.

 

Why do we sleep easier when it’s cool?

Body temperature naturally dips when we sleep. This is an ancient adaptation from our hunter-gatherer days, when the temperature differences were greater between day and night across summer and winter. Whilst the days were warm, the nights were cold. With nothing more than huts for protection at night, we have adapted to sleep best in a cool environment. It is only over the past 50-100 years that we have had regular access to central heating systems - whilst our minds have adapted, our bodies are yet to adapt. This is why partly why we have a tendency to flail our arms and legs around in the night; even in a dream state, our bodies crave the cool outside of the quilts!

When the temperature drops, this is detected by our brain’s internal thermometer (known as the hypothalamus). It is no coincidence that this part of the brain lives right next door to our internal body clock (known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus). The late night drop in temperature tells the hypothalamus to send a message to our internal body clock, to tell the body that it’s time to sleep. This stimulates the release of melatonin, a hormone that controls our sleep cycle.

 

How does the body cool itself to initiate sleep?

Our body cools itself by expanding blood vessels underneath the skin, which increases blood flow to the skin and allows heat to be released. As our bodies initiate themselves ready for sleep, our hands might feel warmer: this is your body expelling the heat acquired throughout the day. This process will mainly take place in the body, hands and feet. Our bodies don’t just release this heat passively, they actually love this stage of the day!

 

What is the ideal temperature for sleep? 

Core body temperature needs to drop by approximately 1 degree fahrenheit. 18.3 degrees is ideal for adults, although infants need a slightly warmer room temperature between 18 degrees and 22 degrees. Whilst this should be used as a rough guide, as the perfect temperature is unique for every person. As a result, you should experiment with room temperature to determine the optimum sleep temperature for you and your child.

 

How can you control the temperature of you child’s room?

Your child’s room temperature is a result of numerous factors working together. Room size, choice of bedding and night clothes are just some of many factors which affect the temperature of the thermal bubble we wrap our children in. Implementing some of the following changes can help you achieve the perfect room temperature to help your child drift off.

  1. Opening or closing curtains during summer - At the start of the day, we can begin to set the temperature of our child’s room at night. In the hotter summer months, closing the curtains throughout the day can reduce the amount of heat that enters the room. By the evening, the room will be considerably cooler. Opening the curtains during winter will allow sunlight to warm your house during the day, meaning that your child’s room is slightly warmer at bedtime.
  2. Open windows to allow airflow - By being strategic in the windows we choose to open, we can allow a cool breeze to flow through the house. For example, if you are opening a window on the front of your house to let in some cool air, you should open a window at the back of the house to allow air to flow through.
  3. Choosing light pyjamas - With so many materials to choose from, it is important to know which materials are lightweight. This can help your child release heat throughout the night. According to the sleep expert Dr. Winter, MD, lightweight materials with moisture-wicking qualities are the best choice of pyjamas for children. These include:
    1. Bamboo
    2. Cotton
    3. Linen
    4. Modal
  4.  Use a temperature-adjustable pillow - The head is the temperature centre of the body, so using a pillow with an internal cooling gel pack can help regulate a child’s body temperature throughout the night.
  5. Taking a warm bath or shower before bed - Warm showers before bed have a range of benefits, from improved cardiovascular health to improved brain development, but research by sleep experts has found that taking a warm shower before bed helps people fall asleep faster. This is partially due to the warm water increasing your core body temperature, which causes your body to expel heat through your skin. As a result, core body temperature can temporarily drop to that which is optimal to achieve sleep. Additionally, a 1987 study found that warm baths help regulate REM sleep, meaning the quality of your child’s sleep will also be improved.

Sleep temperature can not be underestimated when achieving an optimal night’s sleep. Whilst a healthy sleep pattern is a result of a range of factors, allowing your child to sleep in a  cool, calm environment will help prepare their bodies for a night of well earned rest. The Plylow pillow is one way you can control your child’s body temperature - visit our product page to find out more!