Ideal Sleep Temperature = Restful Sleep at Novotel

A decent night’s sleep is essential when travelling for business or leisure. An ideal sleep temperature of around 18°C (65°F) is recommended by experts, and Novotel also offers Live N’Dream beds for optimal rest, smart foldable pillows and 100% cotton linens in our spacious, soundproof guest rooms. 

It’s often overlooked in favour of more obvious issues – comfortable bed, peace and quiet – but room temperature plays a vital part in the ability to sleep well. A cool – never cold – environment will support your body’s natural circadian rhythm, helping you to get to sleep and stay asleep. When a room is too warm, your body struggles to dissipate heat, leading to restlessness and increased wakefulness. It’s well known that travel exacerbates the disruption of our body clocks, even without the added issue of not sleeping well in an unfamiliar hotel room. Here's what you need to know about ideal sleep temperatures, and how Novotel is improving your sleep experience.  

An ideal sleep temperature of around 18°C (65°F) is recommended by experts because it aligns with your body’s natural internal patterns and the need to drop the temperature of your internal thermostat to initiate a good night’s sleep. There are several reasons for this:
 

• Circadian rhythm regulation: Your body temperature isn’t constant; it follows a natural 24-hour circadian rhythm cycle, which can be disturbed when you’re travelling. Around bed time, your brain starts shedding heat to prepare for rest. A cooler room facilitates this cooling-down process.
   

• Physical recovery and mental clarity: Blood is sent to your hands and feet to release heat from your core temperature. A room that is warmer than 18°C prevents this from happening, which means your brain and body both stay alert instead of preparing for rest, causing fatigue and mental fog.
  
  
• Long-term well-being: The hormone melatonin regulates our sleep-wake cycles, and its production is sensitive to both light and temperature. Cool temperatures encourage our bodies to produce more melatonin, promoting uninterrupted slumber and long-term holistic health.
  
  
• Deeper sleep cycles: High room temperatures force the body to sweat to cool down. This causes physical discomfort and can also spike your heart rate, pulling you out of a rejuvenating deep sleep cycle. Sleeping at a constant 18°C – the ideal sleep temperature – will prevent this happening. 
  
  
• Rapid eye movement sleep: When a room is too warm, your body works harder to regulate its core temperature, often resulting in restlessness and micro-awakenings. The physical effort involved in this interferes with restorative rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – which is highly sensitive to temperature – and means you’re more likely to wake as your body struggles to stay cool. 

Having looked after our guests for more than 60 years, Novotel is well-versed in sleep hygiene. That’s why it features – along with eating, keeping mobile and forging social connections – in our Longevity Everyday initiative, focussing on simple everyday steps for long‑term impact. We already provide climate control so you can achieve your ideal sleep environment, Live N’Dream beds for optimal rest, smart foldable pillows and 100% cotton linens in our spacious, soundproof guest rooms. Now we’re calling on the expertise of sleep expert, author and keynote speaker Olivia Arezzolo to place sleep where it belongs – at the heart of everyday well-being.
 

As a Novotel guest, you'll find thoughtfully designed touches to encourage restorative rest in your room, including:
 

• New premium mattresses and bedding with soft and firm options.
• Calming sleep ritual menus with relaxation techniques and wind-down guidance.
• In-room tips and digital content developed with Olivia Arezzolo.
• Guidance on light exposure and sound environments to support circadian rhythms. 

Whether you’re staying in a city hotel such as Novotel Paris Roissy CDG Convention on business, enjoying a much-needed countryside escape at Novotel Nantes Carquefou or heading to Novotel Antibes Sophia Antipolis for family time in a coastal hideaway, sleeping in a strange bed can be a challenge. The right sleep environment – and optimum temperature – can make all the difference to your personal comfort and energy levels, so start small and use these 10 easy tips to turn your room into a cosy and peaceful sanctuary.

Ask for a room on a higher floor, well away from footfall in public spaces. If you’re in a city that lives 24/7, request a room at the back of the hotel and forgo the street views.

Whether you favour firm support or something softer, the right pillow choice will ensure restful sleep. Most hotels have pillow menus; request any changes on arrival rather than at 11pm when you’re ready for sleep.

Adjust the room temperature to around 18°C – the proven ideal sleep temperature – when you arrive to help your body’s natural temperature regulation; overheating under the duvet means a restless night.

Tempting as it may be, avoid alcohol before settling down for the night. Drinking a glass of cool water before you go to bed will help you hydrate and lower your internal temperature. 

Swap late-night, calorie-laden meals for light, easy-to-digest buffet-style snacks. When your metabolism breaks down stodgy food, it generates heat, causing an increase in core body temperature.

Many hotels have soundproofed guest rooms with double glazing. Occasionally, however, some noise is inevitable. Pack earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones or use a white-noise app to ensure you’re not disturbed by unfamiliar sounds.

Exposure to light impacts sleep patterns and destabilises your internal body clock. Most hotels have blackout curtains to block out external light. Switch off bathroom lights and bedside lamps, and if you’re a particularly light sleeper, use a sleep mask to shield your eyes.

Working on laptops or scrolling through Insta grids keeps your mind alert, and the blue light generated by devices suppresses melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleepiness. Switch off your screens an hour before you want to sleep.

Always unpack so your belongings are around you. Bringing small comforts like your favourite sleepwear, scent or cuddly soft toy creates a sense of safety, calm and familiarity, so you’re more likely to sleep soundly. 

Stick to a familiar bedtime routine when you’re travelling. Reading, listening to your favourite music or meditating will signal to your body that it’s time to wind down, helping you sleep in hotels. 

If you’d like more suggestions for sleeping soundly in hotel rooms, Novotel can walk you through a bedtime routine, help kids sleep soundly and suggest how frequent fliers combat travel exhaustion.

Ambient room temperatures have a significant impact on sleep quality. The ideal sleep temperature of around 18°C (65°F) helps your body drop its core temperature and prepare for sleep. Being too hot disrupts REM sleep, while excessive cold causes discomfort that will also hinder uninterrupted nights. 

When your bedroom is at the ideal sleeping temperature of around 18°C, melatonin production in your body is initiated, helping you to sleep. It is thought melatonin production can also help with ageing, weight loss and mood.

The 3:2:1 bedtime rule is a science-backed routine to improve your sleep quality. It helps your body wind down naturally and is particularly useful for business travellers balancing productivity with rest.

• 3 hours before bed: Avoid eating.
• 2 hours before bed: Stop work.
• 1 hour before bed: Switch off screens.