Herbie Murray
Body temperature is key to sleep, and many factors can alter your temperature and impact your sleep. Sleep in mammals is accompanied by a decrease in core body temperature (CBT) and an increase in skin temperature. This natural rhythm of the body can be affected by insomnia, diet, exercise, and the temperature of your sleep environment. For example, hot weather and heavy bedding can prevent the body from cooling down. On the other hand, warm-blooded animal groups with higher body temperatures have lower amounts of REM sleep, while those with lower body temperatures have more REM sleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Body temperature before sleep | Body temperature increases due to factors like exercise, eating, or consuming caffeine or alcohol |
| Body temperature during sleep | Body temperature decreases by around 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Factors influencing body temperature during sleep | Sleep environment, health conditions, hormones, bedding, clothes, hot flashes, medications, and medical conditions |
| Insomnia | Can be linked to body temperature being out of sync with sleep times |
| REM sleep | Animals with lower body temperatures have more REM sleep |
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What You'll Learn
Body temperature and sleep onset
The body's core temperature begins to cool about two hours before sleep and continues to drop throughout the night, with a total decrease of around 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling mechanism is a result of reduced metabolic heat production, which is associated with decreased muscle tone, as well as changes in autonomic nervous system activity and thermoeffector activity. The ability to regulate body temperature differs during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Warm-sensing neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus, which is involved in CBT regulation, become activated during sleep onset and NREM sleep, potentially influencing thermoregulation.
Several factors can influence body temperature during sleep onset and impact overall sleep quality. For example, eating a late meal, consuming alcohol or caffeine, and exercising too close to bedtime can increase body temperature, making it harder to fall asleep. Additionally, the sleep environment, health conditions, and hormone fluctuations can contribute to feeling hot while trying to sleep. Insomnia has also been linked to body temperature being out of sync with sleep times, further highlighting the importance of aligning core temperature rhythms with desired sleep patterns.
To optimise sleep, it is essential to consider both the sleep environment and one's daily routines. Creating a cool bedroom environment with breathable bedding materials can help maintain a lower body temperature throughout the night. Additionally, avoiding heavy bedding, warm mattresses, and thick sleepwear can prevent excess heat retention. By understanding the factors that influence body temperature and their impact on sleep, individuals can make adjustments to improve sleep quality and depth, thereby promoting various health benefits.
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Insomnia and body temperature
Sleep and body temperature are closely linked. To fall asleep, the body's core temperature needs to reduce. This natural rhythm of the body can be affected by insomnia, where the highs and lows of body temperature may not align with your chosen bedtime, disrupting sleep. This is known as sleep onset insomnia, which is associated with a delayed temperature rhythm.
Sleep maintenance insomnia, on the other hand, is linked to a 24-hour elevation of core body temperature, supporting the chronic hyper-arousal model of insomnia. This suggests that insomnia can be caused by a range of arousal-promoting stimuli, including environmental factors such as noise and elevated ambient temperature, social factors like shift work and poor sleep habits, and psychological factors like anxiety and conditioned responses.
The circadian clock, which regulates the daily rhythms of core body temperature and arousal states, plays a significant role in sleepiness and sleep propensity. Sleep is most conducive in the temperature minimum phase, but is inhibited in a "wake maintenance zone" before this phase and disrupted in the zone following it. Morning bright light therapy has been used to successfully treat sleep onset insomnia by advancing circadian rhythms. Conversely, evening bright light therapy has been effective in treating early morning awakening insomnia by delaying circadian rhythms.
The body's ability to regulate temperature is also impacted by sleep deprivation. Well-rested individuals experience coordinated fluctuations in skin blood flow, resulting in simultaneous small changes in the temperature of the hands and feet. Sleep deprivation disrupts this coordination, affecting the body's cardiovascular regulation.
Additionally, exercising up to two hours before bed can improve sleep quality by increasing sleep drive and helping with destressing. However, it is important to avoid exercising too close to bedtime, as going to bed while still hot from the workout can negatively impact sleep.
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Body temperature and REM sleep
Sleep and body temperature are closely linked. The body's core temperature naturally drops before sleep, with skin temperature rising. This is part of the body's natural rhythm, which is influenced by the environment and other factors. For example, eating a late meal or drinking alcohol or caffeine can increase body temperature and disrupt this rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep. Exercise, on the other hand, can help to promote sleep by increasing body temperature and then allowing for a natural cool-down period before bed.
During sleep, the body's core temperature continues to drop, and this decrease is linked to the onset of sleep. This cooling is due to reductions in metabolic heat production, muscle tone, and changes in autonomic nervous system activity and thermoeffector activity. Skin temperature increases during sleep, which may cause some people to feel warm at night.
The relationship between body temperature and REM sleep has been studied by UCLA professor Jerome Siegel, who found that warm-blooded animal groups with higher body temperatures have lower amounts of REM sleep, while those with lower body temperatures have more REM sleep. This research suggests that REM sleep acts like a "thermostatically controlled brain heater". Birds, with the highest body temperature of any warm-blooded animal group, get the least REM sleep, followed by humans and other placental mammals, then marsupials, and finally monotremes, with the lowest body temperature, get the most REM sleep.
During REM sleep, brain activity increases, sometimes even more than during the day. Blood flow to the brain and brain metabolism also increase during this phase. Breathing rates also increase and become more shallow and irregular, due in part to the relaxation of throat muscles and reduced movement of the rib cage.
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Body temperature and exercise
Exercise, particularly high-intensity workouts, can increase core body temperature. While exercising a few hours before bed can enhance sleep by facilitating a natural temperature decrease closer to bedtime, engaging in vigorous activity right before sleep can disrupt sleep. This is because exercise generates heat in the body, and it takes time to cool down afterward. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid high-intensity exercise within one to two hours of bedtime to prevent sleep difficulties.
The impact of exercise on body temperature and sleep is further influenced by individual factors such as unique body composition, sleep environment, and underlying health conditions. For example, sharing a bed with a partner, children, or pets can increase the temperature under the bedding and in the room, making it harder to cool down. Additionally, certain medications, thick bedding, and warm mattresses or pillows can also contribute to higher body temperatures during sleep.
To optimize sleep, it is essential to create a comfortable sleep environment. Maintaining a cool bedroom, using breathable bedding materials, and wearing lightweight sleepwear can help regulate body temperature. Additionally, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and spicy or carbohydrate-rich meals close to bedtime can prevent an increase in body temperature, promoting better sleep.
In summary, exercise can influence body temperature and subsequently impact sleep quality. While exercising a few hours before bed can enhance sleep by aiding the natural cooling process, vigorous activity too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep due to elevated body temperatures. Therefore, understanding and managing the interplay between body temperature, exercise, and sleep can lead to improved sleep quality and overall well-being.
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Body temperature and diet
Diet plays a role in body temperature regulation, particularly in the evening. Meals with varying energy content can lead to changes in nocturnal body temperature. Specifically, higher-energy meals result in increased body temperatures, while lower-energy meals or fasting lead to lower temperatures. However, these dietary changes do not seem to significantly affect sleep quality for good sleepers, provided sleep is initiated 2-3 hours after the meal.
Consuming certain foods and drinks can also raise body temperature. For example, eating a late evening meal or consuming alcohol or caffeine close to bedtime can increase body temperature, making it more challenging to fall asleep. Additionally, some medical conditions and medications can contribute to feeling hot at night, disrupting sleep.
Exercising before bed can impact body temperature and sleep. While exercise increases body temperature initially, it is followed by a natural cooldown period, which can enhance sleep quality by increasing sleep drive and reducing stress. However, exercising too close to bedtime should be avoided, as going to bed while still hot can make falling asleep more difficult.
To optimize sleep, it is essential to consider both body temperature and diet. Creating a cool and comfortable sleep environment, avoiding heavy bedding and sleepwear, and being mindful of dietary choices and exercise timing can help regulate body temperature and promote better sleep.
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Frequently asked questions
Body temperature naturally drops before and during sleep.
The ideal temperature for sleep is around 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many factors can affect body temperature during sleep, including sleep environment, health conditions, hormones, bedding, clothing, and medications.
Exercise increases body temperature, followed by a natural cooldown. Exercising up to two hours before bed can improve sleep quality by increasing sleep drive and reducing stress. However, exercising too close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.
According to research by UCLA professor Jerome Siegel, warm-blooded animal groups with higher body temperatures have lower amounts of REM sleep, while those with lower body temperatures have more REM sleep.
