The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends setting your thermostat no lower than 64 degrees (F) in the Winter months while people are in the home.
Experts typically recommend maintaining an indoor temperature of at least 60°F to ensure both comfort and safety. Temperatures below this threshold can create risks for your health and home.
Health Risks: Cold indoor temperatures can exacerbate respiratory issues, increase the risk of heart problems, and negatively affect those with pre-existing health conditions. Water Pipes: In freezing conditions, unheated spaces can lead to frozen pipes, which may burst and cause water damage.
It's advisable to keep your home below 80 degrees throughout the summer. A house that's too warm can be dangerous to people, pets, and the soft surfaces in your home. Set the winter temperature to 68 degrees when you're awake and 62 degrees when you're sleeping.
Heat Index
Caution (80°F – 90°F HI); • Extreme Caution (91°F – 103°F HI); • Danger (103°F – 124°F HI); and, • Extreme Danger (126°F or higher HI).
Cold homes are not good for your health. Problems and diseases linked to cold homes range from high blood pressure and common colds, to heart attacks and pneumonia. Besides poor health, cold-related illnesses cause absence from work, social isolation, and sleep deprivation. Cold homes can also lead to stress.
Below 13° - If your home is this cold, it may increase your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. 14-15° - If your home is this cold, you may be diminishing your resistance to respiratory diseases. 18° - This is the recommended night time bedroom temperature.
Your pipes are at risk of freezing any time temperatures drop below 32°F. However, it's much more common for pipes to freeze when temperatures dip below 20°F. The longer the weather remains below freezing, the more likely it is your pipes can freeze if not properly protected and winterized.
How cold can a house get without heat overnight? The time of day your heater goes out impacts how long the house stays warm. Indoor temperatures go down faster at night, so if your furnace stops overnight, you can expect a quicker decline. This can be as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit before morning.
Keeping your room too cold can even inhibit your body's ability to fight a cold or flu. Although cold temperatures will not cause you to get sick, it can diminish your body's immune function. 13.
Cold stress occurs by driving down the skin temperature, and eventually the internal body temperature. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur, and permanent tissue damage and death may result.
Sleeping too hot
“Heat is a huge disruptor for REM sleep,” Dr. Drerup says. With the heat of the room, your body temperature will also rise, thus undoing the sleep initiation process entirely. If your bedroom temperature is above 70° F, it's too hot.
“Even if you don't feel the cold disturbing your sleep, your cardiovascular system might still be affected,” cautions Dr. Maslinski. Maintain indoor temperatures above 50°F during winter and stay comfortable year-round with the right bedding.
This will help your chances of getting a healthy and uninterrupted amount of sleep every night. Ideally, your room temperature should be somewhere between 60 and 67°F (15.6 and 19.4°C) for healthy sleep in summer. Infants and toddlers should also be able to sleep in these temperatures with the proper sleep attire.
The U.S. government Department of Energy (DOE) states that people should set their thermostats to 68 degrees F. This is the optimal temperature for keeping a home comfortable.
So, exactly how cold does it need to be before you do this? Southern Living says professionals list the threshold temperature for pipes to freeze at 20 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning this or anything below can create a potential for water to turn to ice in your pipes.
Yes, pipes can freeze overnight if temperatures plummet drastically. Uninsulated pipes in unheated areas like attics or exterior walls are most vulnerable.
For short periods of time away, like going to work, we'd recommend a temperature of around 55 – 60 degrees (F). While away on long periods of time, such as vacation, we don't recommend setting the temperature any lower than 50 degrees (F).
In general, when the wind chill is 32° and above, it's safe to be outside. In temperatures 13° to 31°, indoor breaks should happen every 20-30 minutes. For wind chills of 13° and below, you should move activities indoors and outside of the cold as frostbite can set in very quickly.
Cold air can cause your airways to narrow. This can increase the amount of mucus you produce and make it harder to breathe. Cold, dry air can also irritate your airways and make symptoms like wheezing, coughing and breathlessness worse.
Wearing socks to bed may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, so it could become an important part of your sleep hygiene routine. Sleep hygiene refers to the habits, behaviors, and environmental factors present during our bedtime routine.
There are fewer cons to sleeping in a cold bedroom than a warm one, but without the right blankets and clothing, a too-cold room can keep you up all night shivering. Invest in the right pair of pajamas, a thick blanket or warm socks if you know you are prone to getting the chills at night.
The report presents evidence that living in a colder home (at a temperature below 18°C) is linked with negative impacts on health and well-being, particularly for people who are older or who have health conditions or disabilities.