Nighttime ambient temperature and sleep in community-dwelling older adults.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Longitudinal observational cohort tracking participants over time in home environments.
PubMed 37474050 · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165623
What was done
Researchers conducted a longitudinal observational study in community-dwelling older adults to examine the association between nighttime bedroom temperature and sleep quality. Participants were monitored in their homes over an extended period using wearable sleep monitors and environmental sensors to measure sleep duration, efficiency, and restlessness while controlling for potential confounders.
What was found
Sleep was most efficient and restful at nighttime ambient temperatures between 20 °C and 25 °C. An increase in temperature from 25 °C to 30 °C was associated with a clinically relevant 5% to 10% decline in sleep efficiency. The associations were largely nonlinear, and substantial variation was observed between individual subjects.
Why it matters
The findings identify an empirical optimal bedroom temperature range for older adults in real-world settings, highlighting potential vulnerabilities to climate-driven temperature increases and the value of targeted home thermal optimization.
Limits
The abstract does not state the sample size, study duration, participant demographics, or geographic setting. As an observational study, it cannot establish causality or fully exclude unmeasured behavioral factors such as bedding, clothing, or air conditioning use.
Cited by
- context An optimal bedroom ambient temperature for sleep for most people is between 63 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit.