A slightly higher air conditioner temperature than you would set during the day is better suited to sleeping at night. There are a couple of reasons why a higher temperature setting is better while you are asleep.
- Ambient Air Temperature
Even on the hottest days and nights, the outdoor temperature is going to drop below the day time temperature. When outdoor temperatures drop, your indoor temperature is also going to decrease. It may take a while for you to feel the cooler nighttime temperature indoors than you would if you were outside.
This means that your aircon doesn’t need to work as hard at night as it does during the day to reach the desired indoor temperature. Changing your thermostat or aircon setting to a higher temperature at night is recommended whether you are sleeping or not. This will save energy which will reflect well on your next electric bill.
- Body Temperature
During the day, you are moving and busy which results in your body producing heat. At night, when you are asleep, your body temperature falls. This is why most people need a blanket to keep them warm at night and maintain a comfortable body temperature.
Your aircon setting should take this drop in body temperature into account. However, the decrease in body temperature does not occur immediately. So while you may feel uncomfortably hot when going to sleep and turn your aircon to a lower setting, you may find that you wake up during the night because you are suddenly cold. It can take a few hours for your body temperature to drop.
Waking in the middle of the night is not ideal. It results in disrupted sleep which causes sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation may result in lack of concentration, slow reaction time, day-time tiredness and can even contribute to the development of certain physical health conditions.
Research has shown that a lack of sleep can result in increased weight gain (especially in women) and contribute to the development of type II diabetes. Sleep deprivation has also be found to contribute to heart disease.
It is therefore far better to set your aircon temperature higher instead of waking up because you are cold and need to change the temperature on your air conditioner – or even turn it off.
- Dry Air
Colder air means drier air and your aircon is drying the air out while you are sleeping. Warmer air means greater humidity which is better for your skin and respiration. If you are waking up with a dry nose, mouth and throat, it means that your aircon is too cold and that you need to change the temperature and humidity setting while you are sleeping.
While dry nose, throat and mouth aren’t exactly going to make you ill, it can lead to dehydration. Dehydration during the night can have physical health consequences. Also, the dryness may make you more susceptible to contracting transmittable illnesses and leave your body open to attack from viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms.
Dry skin is also not good and can result in speeding up the ageing process. To protect your skin, try sleeping with the aircon on a higher temperature setting or turning it off completely while you sleep.
What Is The Ideal Air Conditioner Temperature While Your Are Sleeping?
Comfortable room temperature is considered to be 25 degrees Celsius (Centigrade). This is also considered to be the ideal temperature setting for your aircon while you are sleeping.
If you find this temperature setting to be too warm preventing you from falling asleep quickly, there are two ways you can prevent this:
- Turn your aircon to a lower setting in your bedroom to cool the room about 20 minutes before you go to sleep and adjust it higher before getting into bed.
- Find a temperature setting above 20 degrees Celsius that you find more comfortable. It is not recommended to run you aircon on the lowest setting (between 16 and 18 degrees) or at 20 degrees and below while you are asleep.
You can also invest in an aircon that has a sleep mode feature.
What Is Sleep Mode?
Sleep mode is a feature that is available on most new and modern air conditioners. It increases the temperature of the aircon incrementally every hour. The process begins at the temperature that you have set the aircon at. It then increases the temperature between 0.5 and 1 degree each hour with a maximum of 3 degrees in total. This means that by the time your body temperature has dropped, you aircon is delivering air that is 3 degrees warmer than when you went to sleep preventing you from waking because you are too cold.
For example, if you have set your aircon to 20 degrees and it increases temperature by 1 degree every hour in sleep mode, the aircon temperature will be 23 degrees 3 hours after you go to sleep. You should not notice the increase in air temperature at all as it compensates for the decrease in your body temperature.
How Do You Use Sleep Mode On Your Aircon?
Different makes and models of aircon have different processes for using sleep mode. Some only require that you press the sleep mode button and the temperature will then increase every hour by 1 degree. Other aircons are entirely programmable which means that you will be required to enter a starting time and temperature as well as how often you would like the temperature to increase and by how much.
Fully programmable sleep mode functions allow you to have total control of the aircon temperature while you are sleeping. On the other hand, simple sleep mode press features are much easier to use. It is recommended to choose an aircon that best suits your needs.
If your current aircon is outdated and does not have a sleep mode, it may be time to upgrade. Aircons that don’t come with a sleep mode are using outdated technology, are not energy-saving and probably in need of replacement anyway. Do a little research into the latest makes and models of aircon to find out more about the latest features and chose one that best suits your needs.