What’s the ideal room temperature in winter

As the winter season takes control of the weather and temperatures drop to frosty levels, it’s natural to seek the warmth and cosiness of our homes. The temperature in our living space plays a crucial role in creating a comfortable environment for our day-to-day routine, contributing to our overall health and wellbeing and influencing the quality of our sleep.
 
But how to achieve the ideal room temperature during winter while keeping our energy consumption at a reasonable level? In today’s blog, we’ll explore the factors that contribute to the ideal temperature and equip you with some useful tips to navigate through winter months safely and comfortably.

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Ideal room temperature in winter
Ideal room temperature for sleeping in winter
Factors affecting your room temperature
Health considerations

Ideal room temperature in winter

Setting the right temperature in our home is essential to keep warm in winter, but also to improve your productivity and maintain your health. While personal preferences on room temperature may vary, the general guidelines set the ideal indoor temperature between 18 and 22 degrees. In this condition, the temperature should be high enough to prevent you from winter chills, yet not too high to make you feel dizzy or tired.
 
Depending on our body thermoregulation and habits, you can easily adjust the preferred indoor temperature by using a programmable thermostat in your home. To make sure your household is more energy efficient, you can further tailor your temperature settings to align with your daily routine. For instance, you can set your heating system to lower the temperature when you’re away from home or asleep and increase it during your active time at home.  

Please see the breakdown on recommended temperatures below:

Ideal room temperature for sleeping in winter

As we mentioned above, the temperature in your bedroom can be slightly cooler than the rest of your home – generally between 18 and 20 degrees.
 
As your body prepares for bedtime, your core body temperature starts to fall. If the room you’re in is too warm, your body temperature remains high, preventing you from falling asleep. Therefore, the temperature of your bedroom has a significant effect on the quality of your sleep, as well as on how you feel in the morning.
 
Sleeping in a room with high temperature can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing, leading to:

• Difficulties falling asleep
• Disturbed sleeping pattern and poor quality of sleep
• Night sweating
• Breathing difficulties and respiratory problems
• Increased possibility of serious health issues

While having a positive effect on our sleeping hygiene, keeping your home cooler at night also reduces your energy consumption and monthly utility bills. By layering up, choosing warmer bedding or using an electric blanket, you can keep warm and cosy in bed while maintaining a cooler, healthier indoor temperature at night. You can learn more about Tips to keep warm this winter from one of our recent blogs.

Factors affecting your room temperature

To achieve a cosy living space during the winter months, it’s important to understand what are the main factors affecting your indoor temperature.
 
Insulations and draughty spots
 
The effectiveness of your home insulation determines how well it retains the heat. Insufficient insulation can result in heat loss, requiring more energy to maintain a comfortable temperature. Additionally, draughty spots around windows and doors can introduce cold air, affecting the overall warmth of a room. Find out more about tackling draughty spots in our blog Draught-Proofing tip for your home. 
 
Size of our home and room layout
 
Similarly, the size of our home and room layout impact how efficiently it keeps in the heat. Larger rooms and rooms with multiple outdoor-facing walls may require more heating to maintain a comfortable temperature. On the other hand, small but isolated rooms can heat more easily, but it may be more difficult for the heat to flow around your home.

Windows and sunlight exposure 
 
Despite the winter chills outside, the orientation of windows and the amount of sunlight a room receives are both crucial for balancing your room temperature. South-facing windows can bring in natural warmth during the day, reducing the need for using a heating system. On the contrary, rooms lacking sunlight will be generally cooler, relying on heat appliances in your home.

Humidity levels
 
Humidity is an invisible, yet important aspect affecting your room temperature throughout the year. Essentially, the small droplets of moisture in the air help the air hold on to heat better. In winter, however, the cold air rolls in and the levels of humidity generally drops, resulting in cooler conditions in your home.
 
On the other hand, while increased humidity can make your home feel warmer, it can cause condensation and the growth of mould and mildew, posing serious risks to your health.
 
Ideally, your indoor humidity levels should sit between 30-50%, as this range is generally considered comfortable for your health while also protecting your home's integrity. The easiest way to keep an eye on humidity in your home is using a hygrometer – a device measuring a quantity of water vapour in the air while also tracking the room temperature.

If the humidity levels in your home don’t sit within the recommended range, you can consider using humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Humidifiers add moisture to the air, dehumidifiers, on the other hand, help reduce excess moisture in humid conditions, aiding in preventing mould growth and improving the overall comfort.
 
Additionally, there are a few effective ways to naturally increase the humidity in your home, including:

• Air drying your clothes inside
• Cooking at home
• Getting some houseplants

To naturally reduce your indoor humidity, you should regularly ventilate your home, as natural sunlight can help to warm your indoor space and dry out any damp air.

Health considerations

Considering the external factors affecting your room temperature, as well as soaring energy bills, sometimes it can be challenging to maintain a healthy and balanced temperature in your home. However, it’s important to remember that keeping your living space at an extremely low temperature can have a serious impact on your health and overall wellbeing, especially during the winter months.

These are some of the most common health concerns related to cold homes:

• Higher risk of respiratory health issues, such as bronchitis and asthma
• Poor immune system function, making individuals more susceptible to colds, flu, and other respiratory infections
• Increased blood pressure that can lead to various cardiovascular diseases
• Joint pain and stiffness, particularly for individuals suffering from arthritis
• Feelings of discomfort and stress, potentially impacting mental well-being

Although the health risks of living in a cold home apply to everyone, there are specific demographic groups that may be more vulnerable than others.

• Elderly people often have a reduced ability to regulate body temperature and could face an increased risk of suffering from hypothermia and other chronic conditions.
• Similarly, children, whose immune system is not fully developed, may be more prone to respiratory issues and other health concerns related to cold environment.