When temperatures drop, plenty of people notice their sleep gets lighter, more broken, and harder to come by. British health guidance has long stressed that good sleep supports mental wellbeing, helping mood, stress levels, and anxiety, with most adults advised to aim for around seven to nine hours a night. Yet in winter, the fix many of us reach for can quietly backfire. One doctor says the problem often starts with how warm we make the bedroom.
Dr. Gareth Nye, a physician and biomedical science lecturer at the University of Salford, points to a common habit that seems sensible on a freezing night. People crank up the heating so the room feels cosy at bedtime, then wonder why they wake up hot, restless, or drenched in sweat. The issue is that sleep relies on a natural shift in body temperature, and an overheated room can get in the way.
According to Dr. Nye, part of the process of falling asleep is a gradual drop in core temperature. Cooler rooms generally make that easier, while sudden temperature drops can be disruptive because they trigger shivering and discomfort. If the bedroom is too warm, the body struggles to cool down properly, which can interfere with the internal signal that tells the brain it is time to sleep. What felt comfortable when you switched off the light can turn into a recipe for tossing and turning later.
The goal, experts say, is not to freeze yourself through the night. Sleep specialist Phoebe Street from Pretty You London suggests keeping the room on the cool side while focusing warmth where it matters most, in the bed. She says bedrooms tend to be most sleep friendly at about 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, with the bed warmed separately rather than heating the whole room for hours.
That can be as simple as using a hot water bottle under the duvet for a short period to take the edge off the cold. Breathable, long pyjamas can help you stay comfortable without trapping too much heat. Lighter layers of bedding also give more control, so you can adjust quickly if you start to overheat.
Dr. Nye also highlights an often overlooked detail, warm feet. When feet warm up, blood vessels widen, helping the body release heat and allowing core temperature to drop. He referenced a 2018 study suggesting that people who wore socks to bed fell asleep about seven minutes faster, slept longer overall, and woke less often than those who did not.
If you try the socks approach, comfort matters. Dr. Nye notes that socks made from natural fibres and not too tight are more likely to help, since anything restrictive can impair circulation and have the opposite effect. Keeping the room slightly cooler while fine tuning your bedding and sleepwear may be the simplest winter reset your sleep routine needs.
Have you noticed your sleep changing in winter, and what small tweak has made the biggest difference for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
