Sleep Science • Article

From Head to Toe: How Sleep Temperature Affects Your Body

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Temperature plays a major role in sleep quality. See how each part of your body reacts to temperature changes — and what you can do to get better quality sleep.

 

Fact: 83% of couples sleep too hot or too cold.*

 

 

HEAD

Head: Your brain sends signals to your body to sweat when you get too hot, or to shiver when you are cold.

 

Tip: A warm shower before bed kicks off the body's cooling process, which helps you fall asleep faster.

 

CHEST

Chest: A hot, burning feeling in the chest could be the result of heartburn, when food or acid leaks from the stomach to the esophagus.

 

Tip: Try to eat dinner at least two hours before bedtime and avoid excess sugar. Also, take advantage of mattresses that can raise your head, like the Sleep Number 360® smart bed, to keep your head and chest higher than your abdomen.

 

HANDS

Hands: Your skin's blood vessels expand to cool the body, so your hands may feel warmer at night.

 

Tip: If you're hot, don't cover your hands. Use temperature control bedding and beds which help absorb excess heat and release it as you cool down.

 

ABDOMEN

Abdomen: In the late afternoon, your metabolism slows down, and the core temperature in your body starts to lower as it prepares for sleep.

 

Tip: Begin a pre-bedtime routine 20 minutes to 1 hour before bed to help your body wind down.

 

FEET

Feet: Cold feet? It may due to poor circulation or nerve damage, but it could simply be inherited from your family.

 

Tip: Put on some wool socks. Even better: Take advantage of Sleep Number's FlexFit™ Base with a foot warming option designed to help you fall asleep faster.

 

Research shows that Sleep Number® bed owners get almost an hour's more sleep per night than the average sleeper.**

 

Discover how you can sleep at your Ideal Temperature with our True Temp™ bedding.

 

Like diet and exercise, quality sleep is essential for optimal well-being and performance. Because everyone's sleep needs are different, Sleep Number® smart beds, with SleepIQ® technology inside, sense your movements and automatically adjust firmness, comfort and support to keep you both sleeping comfortably. Find your Sleep Number® setting for your best possible night's sleep.

 

*Results from a 2020 Sleep Number survey of 1,004 respondents who reported they or their partner sometimes sleep too hot or too cold.

**Based on self-reported hours of sleep from a general population survey compared to SleepIQ® sleeper data.

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