TWEAK YOUR HVAC FOR THE BEST NIGHT’S SLEEP
One of the most important things you can do for your health and happiness is get a good night’s sleep. But if you’re having trouble with that, or would just like to make your sleeping experience a little bit better, there may be some HVAC solutions that can get you closer to that goal.
Consider experimenting with your thermostat, fans, humidifiers and dehumidifiers to see what works best for you and leaves you feeling refreshed in the morning.
Be Cool
When you prepare to fall asleep, your body temperature naturally drops to help make you relaxed. And when your bedroom is cool as well, you’ll get even more benefit from this process. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the ideal bedroom temperature for optimal sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Maintaining that temperature during the winter is easy and can even save you money on heating costs, but it won’t be cheap to get the temperature down that low using air conditioning. So to help keep cool on hot summer nights, you may need to rely more on fans.
One alternative is to look into zone-control air conditioning systems, which allow you to set different temperatures in individual rooms. If you can dial down the temperature in just your bedroom without cooling the entire house, you can get a cooler night’s sleep for a fraction of the energy cost.
It’s the Humidity
When the humidity in your bedroom is too high, the air can feel thick and muggy, which can make it harder to breathe and relax. Humid rooms can also attract some pesky insects and even promote mold growth, which can irritate your respiratory system and subsequently affect your sleep.
On the other hand, a room that’s too dry can make your throat and nasal passages cracked and scratchy, which isn’t a recipe for a good night’s sleep either. So it’s important to get the humidity level just right.
Using an inexpensive digital hygrometer, you can measure the humidity level in your bedroom. You’re looking for something near or between 40 to 50 percent. If you’re way off, use a small, standalone humidifier or dehumidifier to push that number toward the sweet sleep spot.
Feel the Breeze
Fans offer a variety of benefits for your bedtime routine. The downdraft from a ceiling fan can create a cooling effect on your skin all night long, keeping you comfortable and closer to that ideal temperature range. It will also circulate the air to keep it fresh, which may make it easier to breathe.
Another fringe benefit is the steady hum of white noise most fans create. This effect can be so soothing that you might even want to use a comparatively noisy box fan if your ceiling fan is too quiet. White noise can not only help you fall asleep, it can help you stay asleep by muffling middle-of-the-night noises that might otherwise wake you up.
Do you want to learn more about how zone cooling, fans and humidity controls can make your home more comfortable for a restful night’s sleep? Contact us to find out more.
