🌡️ Is your bedroom too hot? Discover how it affects your health

The temperature of your bedroom could influence your stress level during sleep.

Researchers from Griffith University in Australia conducted an investigation by following adults over 65 in their own homes. They used activity trackers and temperature sensors to collect data throughout a summer. The goal was to understand how nighttime heat affects the heart and the body's ability to recover, avoiding the artificial conditions of laboratories.


When the body is exposed to heat, the heart must work harder to pump blood to the skin and dissipate heat. According to Dr. O'Connor, this increase in heart rate can create stress and reduce the possibility of recovering from daytime heat exposures. For seniors, whose bodies are less adaptable to temperature variations, this effect is even more pronounced, which explains why they are more vulnerable to warm nights.

The study took place in real-world conditions, with 47 participants equipped with tracking devices during the Australian summer. Bedroom temperatures were recorded every ten minutes, and sleep hours were analyzed between 9 PM and 7 AM. This approach provides data representative of daily life, offering an accurate glimpse into sleep habits and home environments.

The results showed that when the temperature exceeds 75°F (24°C), heart rate variability decreases, a sign of less effective autonomic recovery. For example, between 75°F and 79°F (24°C and 26°C), the chances of disruption increase by 40%, and this probability grows with the heat. Higher nighttime temperatures are also linked to a faster heart rate and a dominance of the sympathetic system, associated with stress.

With climate change, warm nights are becoming more frequent, which could have consequences for the cardiovascular health of older adults. Dr. O'Connor notes that there are still no official recommendations for nighttime temperatures, unlike the daytime limits set at 79°F (26°C). This gap highlights the importance of additional research to guide domestic practices and public health policies.

This work, published in BMC Medicine, provides useful information for adapting the sleep environment. By maintaining a cool temperature, it is possible to promote better nighttime recovery and improve the overall health of seniors, who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of heat. These findings encourage considering air conditioning or ventilation as simple tools to improve well-being.