Sleep has long been considered one of the most crucial elements in just about every aspect of our health, and for older adults, a new factor to improve sleep further has been discovered.
A team of researchers has shown that sleep can be most efficient and restful within older adults when night-time ambient temperatures range between 15 to 25 Celsius (or 60 to 77 Fahrenheit). Moving above this temperature towards 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) showed an overall trend of a 5-10 per cent drop in sleep efficiency.
“These results highlight the potential to enhance sleep quality in older adults by optimising home thermal environments and emphasising the importance of personalised temperature adjustments based on individual needs and circumstances,” said lead researcher Dr Amir Baniassadi from the Hebrew SeniorLife, and Harvard Medical School.
In the 18-month study, the researchers examined the connection between bedroom nighttime temperature and sleep quality in a sample of older adults living in community care.
The data was collected using wearable sleep monitors and environmental sensors. Sleep duration, efficiency, and restlessness over an extended period were all measured within the participant's homes. In total, nearly 11,000 nights of sleep were captured from 50 older adults.
While there was a clear gap in optimal temperature for sleep, there was also a great deal of difference between individuals and each person has their own optimal sleep range which could change over time.
For older adults, good sleep is especially important where sleep patterns are more likely to be fractured by the natural process of ageing. This is especially concerning with links to climate change.
As increasing temperatures become the norm and our nights get hotter, the study suggests it could become harder for older adults to get sleep within the optimal temperature range. This is even harder in urban areas that tend to be warmer.
“The study underscores the potential impact of climate change on sleep quality in older adults, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status, and supports increasing their adaptive capacity as night time temperatures increase in cities across the country,” Baniassadi said.
Baniassadi recommends a collection of adaptive strategies to get better sleep in warm temperatures. These are all often-quoted techniques such as drinking lots of water throughout the day, using breathable sleepwear, avoiding screens before bed and eating well.
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