Going to sleep in a cold bedroom might seem counterintuitive. After all, what’s the point of cranking up the AC or buying those expensive cooling bed sheets if you’re going to pile on the blankets anyway?

The truth is, our bodies like it cold while we drift off to sleep. In fact, sleeping in a room that’s too warm might cause sleep disruption! Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy when you head to bed in a cooler room.

Fall asleep faster

Your body’s core temperature goes through a daily cycle. Your temperature is lowest at bedtime, and it raises in the morning to signal that it’s time to wake up. As the day goes on, your core temperature will steadily decline until you’re ready for bed once again.

The best way to get a good night’s sleep is to create an environment that reflects your body’s natural temperature fluctuations. Before crawling into bed, set your thermostat somewhere between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 19 degrees Celsius). That’s the optimal temperature range for achieving the best sleep quality. A room that’s too warm might prevent you from getting comfortable and falling asleep easily.

Not only that, but researchers have discovered that colder temperatures and increased melatonin production go hand in hand to give humans a good night’s rest. Melatonin is a hormone that helps your body fall asleep and stay asleep. As your core temp lowers at night, the body ramps up melatonin production. Cranking up the AC is a natural way of boosting your body’s melatonin levels and making you feel sleepy so it’s easier to fit in those eight hours of sleep every night.

Stay asleep more easily

A cooler room not only helps you fall asleep at night but also helps you stay asleep. Some people claim they need a warm and cozy environment in order to fall asleep. They believe the hotter it is, the better. A warm climate might lull them off to slumber, but these are usually the same people who toss and turn in the middle of the night and wake up soaked in sweat. They might cast the blankets aside, only to find that those night sweats have created a chill, so they pull the blankets back over their heads, and the vicious cycle of poor sleep continues.

Even if your room isn’t warm enough to wake you up repeatedly, it can still hamper your sleep. Since your body temperature naturally rises as morning approaches, piling on the blankets or turning up the heat can trigger you to wake up way before your alarm.

Boost your energy and keep you healthy

Waking up after a restless night isn’t how you want to start your day. Sleep quality and duration influence how well you perform your daily activities, and getting too few hours or fighting to fall back asleep will sap your energy. If sleep problems grow worse over time, you could suffer from more than mere grogginess. Poor sleep quality can become insomnia, cause chronic health problems or worsen mood disorders like anxiety or depression.

A cool bedroom can help prevent these problems from happening. A cool room helps you get cozy under the covers and create the best sleeping environment, so you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.

Sooth menopause hot flashes

Quality sleep is especially hard to come by for women going through menopause. The most common symptom of menopause is hot flashes, which can disrupt the body’s core temperature cycle. Hot flashes are sudden, intense and can happen at any time of the day—like when you’re trying to sleep! Since warmer temperatures signal the body to wake up, hot flashes can leave you tossing and turning all night long.

You can’t stop hot flashes from happening. However, what you can do is mitigate their effects by creating a cool and comfortable bedroom environment. You might feel a little chilly at first, but keeping it cool will reduce the intensity of hot flashes later in the night. You’re less likely to wake up, which means you can finally get the sleep you deserve.

Pay attention to your sleep for good health

For most people, turning the thermostat down a couple degrees is all it takes to improve sleep quality. However, it’s important to recognize when creating a proper sleep environment isn’t enough. If you struggle to sleep through the night, a more serious issue could be at play that requires professional guidance. Pay attention to your sleep quality and duration to keep your body and mind as healthy and refreshed as possible.