Sleeping in a hot bedroom could give you harrowing nightmares

Sleeping in a bedroom too hot could actually lead to horrible nightmares about ghosts, monsters and zombies, an expert warns.

Dr Neil Stanley, ex-chairman of the British Sleep Society, claims the temperature should be between 16-18°C (61-64°F) during shut-eye.

And sleeping in a room that is too warm can lead to sleep disturbances – which in turn makes nightmares more likely to occur.

Dr Neil Stanley, ex-chairman of the British Sleep Society, claims that the temperature should be between 16-18°C (61-64°F) during shut-eye

Dr Stanley said: ‘In order for us to get a good night’s sleep, we need to lose around 1°C of our internal body temperature, which sits at around 37°C (99°F).

‘We typically lose that 1°C (34°F) through our head or face, which pokes out of the duvet.

‘If you’re sleeping in a room which is too warm, your body’s core temperature is unable to lose that heat and your sleep will be disturbed.’

He added: ‘If you’re sleep deprived, we see greater sleep intensity – and that in turn leads to greater brain activity while you’re dozing.

‘That causes you to dream more, for your dreams to be more vivid, and for you to remember your dreams.

‘And, unfortunately, that goes for nightmares, too, which can be intense.’ 

The UK Sleep Council issued similar advice this spring. It said: ‘Maintain an ambient temperature in your room. If you’re too hot or too cold, you won’t sleep soundly.’

IS THERE ANOTHER REASON TO TURN DOWN THE HEATING IN THE BEDROOM?

Heating experts claim that keeping a cool bedroom could also save homeowners hundreds of pounds each year.

Steve Watson, from STL Heating & Energy, said studies have shown turning the thermostat down by 1°C can save £100 each year.

He added: ‘And agreeing on a bedroom temperature can also help you to avoid the dreaded ‘thermo-spat’ – an argument about how hot the room is.

‘Arguments lead to couples turning the heating up and down all the time, and that places extra strain on your boiler.

‘Do this day in, day out, and I’d expect certain components to fail quicker than they might otherwise do during normal use.

‘And if your boiler fails entirely, you’ll have to pay around £1,500 to either replace or fix it.’

The US National Sleep Foundation also said: ‘If your room is cool, rather than warm, it will be much easier to shut your eyes for the night.’ 

Dr Stanley said that sleeping in the right temperature can also prevent snoring and other disorders like sleep apnoea.

But achieving that temperature may be more difficult to judge this month because the spring weather fluctuates between chilly and mild. 

Disturbed sleep means adults are more likely to experience a phase of kip called ‘Rapid Eye Movement’.

This can cause sleepers to physically act vivid and unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, violent arm and leg movements.

Dr Stanley said: ‘It’s during the REM phase of sleep when brain-waves behave similarly to being awake. This is the time nightmares typically occur.’

He is also a member of the European Sleep Research Society, European Society of Sleep Technologists and American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 

But Dr Stanley, who has investigated sleep for 36 years, revealed there are several ways of staying cool at night.

He said: ‘Sleep under natural fibres, cottons and silks that will keep you cool. If you can sleep with the window open, do so.

‘Avoid eating late at night, as this can increase your internal body temperature and making it hard for you to lose heat.

‘And remember – having the heating blasting out will not get you a good night’s sleep.

‘Keep your bedroom nice and cool. If you want to take the chill out of your bed, use a hot water bottle. Once you sleep, you will heat the bed up anyway.’ 



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