Health

Study says seniors sleep better in warmer temperatures

By Mallika Marshall, MD

September 18, 2023 / 5:41 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - Many of us like to sleep in cooler temperatures, but seniors may want to crank up the thermostat a bit.

Researchers at Harvard and Marcus Institute for Aging Research studied 50 people in the Boston area aged 65 and older.

The participants wore a ring linked to their smartphone to monitor their sleep and vital signs, and sensors were put in their bedrooms to track overnight room temperatures.

They found that sleep was "most efficient and restful" when bedroom temperatures were between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit though the ideal range was between 70 and 74 degrees.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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