Do you toss and turn at night, wake up sweating, or pull the blanket up to your chin shivering? Often, the problem is not the bed, but the room. The right bedroom temperature is one of the most underestimated factors for restful sleep – and it can be precisely adjusted with a few simple steps and the right bedding. There is no single value that suits everyone: whether 16 or 20 °C feels right depends on your personal sensitivity to warmth, the season, and above all, what is on your bed. In this guide, you will learn which values have proven effective, why your body wants to cool down at night, and how to coordinate the room climate with your bedding.
Why bedroom temperature is so important
The human body slightly lowers its core temperature as it falls asleep. This drop is a biological starting signal for sleep: the body releases heat through the hands, feet, and face, the core temperature drops, and the body switches into rest mode. If the room is too warm, this mechanism works less effectively – you stay awake longer, sleep more restlessly, and wake up more frequently. If it is too cold, the muscles tense up, which also disrupts deep sleep phases.
Between these two extremes lies a comfort zone in which your body neither needs to compensate nor sweat. This is exactly the range you should aim for – and do so in combination with the choice of bedding, because the room and the bed form a combined system. Read more about this in our article on the right bed climate for healthy sleep.
What is the ideal bedroom temperature?
As a proven guideline for adults, 16 to 18 °C is recommended. Many people also feel comfortable at up to 20 °C – what matters is your personal perception. General guidelines:
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Adults: 16–18 °C, up to 20 °C for those sensitive to cold
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Children's room: around 18 °C
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Baby room: around 16–18 °C, because infants cannot yet regulate their temperature well themselves and overheating should be avoided
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Humidity: 40–60 % – dry heated air irritates the mucous membranes, while overly humid air promotes mold
What matters more than the decimal point on the thermometer is consistency. A room that cools down significantly at night and is heated up in the morning disrupts sleep more than a consistently slightly cooler room. Therefore, it is better to ventilate briefly and thoroughly (shock ventilation) rather than leaving the window permanently ajar.
Room temperature and bedding compared
The number on the thermometer says little on its own. Only in combination with the bedding is the sleep climate created that you actually feel. The following table shows which quality suits which room temperature:
| Room temperature |
How it feels |
Suitable bedding |
Ideal for |
Price range |
| 14–16 °C |
Very cool, cold feet, blanket pulled up |
Melange Biber Flannel or Flannel (160 g/m²) |
Frostbite, unheated bedrooms, old buildings |
from €49.95 |
| 16–18 °C |
The classic guideline, body cools down well |
Fine Flannel in winter, Renforcé for the rest of the year |
Most adults |
from €25.95 |
| 18–20 °C |
Noticeably warm, but comfortable for those sensitive to cold |
TENCEL as an all-year quality |
Those who get cold quickly but still do not want to sweat |
from €49.95 |
| over 22 °C |
Summer night, difficulty falling asleep, sweating |
Seersucker or cooling qualities |
Attic, heatwaves, night sweats |
from €20.95 |
Which combination is right for you?
Four typical situations – and a concrete recommendation for each:
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You hardly heat the bedroom and still do not like getting cold: Stick to 16 °C and compensate in bed. The biberna Melange Flannel Bedding (item number 0840500, from €49.95) is the further development of the Flannel made from 100% cotton, developed by biberna – even fluffier and softer than classic Flannel.
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You want to maintain the guideline of 16–18 °C without spending much: The Castell Fine Flannel Bedding in Sapphire (item number 0030988, from €25.95) is our entry-level brand and reliably covers the cold season.
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Your room temperature fluctuates greatly over the year: Then an all-year quality is worth it. The biberna Tencel Bedding (item number 0470500, from €49.95) regulates moisture, feels pleasantly cool, and can be washed at 40 °C.
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Your bedroom does not drop below 22 °C in summer: Opt for airiness instead of technology. The Castell Microfiber Seersucker Bedding in Petrol (item number 0260995, from €20.95) acts like a built-in air conditioner thanks to its crepe structure and is also non-iron.
You can find an overview of all qualities in our bedding collection. Shipping is always free with us, with no minimum order value.
Cold or sweating? Then the bedding is not right
A cool room only works if the bed retains the heat – and a warm room only if the bed transports away moisture. The bedding is therefore your adjustment screw to make the same room temperature pleasant all year round:
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If you get cold: Flannel bedding with around 160 g/m² is particularly lofty and stores heat directly against the skin – our core product since 1968. Even softer and fluffier is our Melange Flannel, the further development of the Flannel made from 100% cotton, developed by biberna.
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If you sweat: Seersucker with its airy crepe structure acts like a built-in air conditioner and is also 100% non-iron.
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Balancing all year round: TENCEL Bedding with the Lenzing brand fiber absorbs a lot of moisture and feels pleasantly cool – ideal if your room temperature fluctuates over the year.
Those who regularly wake up soaked at night will find further information in our article Why do I sweat at night?.
Practical tips for a better sleep climate
Turn down the heating in time. Set the heating in the bedroom one to two hours before going to bed lower, so that the room has reached the target temperature by the time you fall asleep.
Shock ventilate before going to sleep. Opening the window wide for five to ten minutes completely replaces the stale air without cooling down the walls. This also lowers the humidity in the room.
Don't skimp on the bed, but on the thermostat. A cool room plus warm, breathable bedding is more comfortable than an overheated room with thin covers – and saves heating costs.
Black out during the day in summer. Closed roller shutters or curtains keep the heat out. Ventilate during the cool morning and evening hours.
Two sets for two seasons. Those who switch to Flannel in autumn and Seersucker or TENCEL in summer compensate for temperature differences without technical aids. You can find an overview of all qualities in our bedding collection.
A note on couples: sensitivity to warmth is individual. If one person gets cold and the other sweats, a shared room temperature is often the wrong lever – here, different bedding or the concept of two separate blankets is more helpful.
Frequently asked questions
Is it unhealthy to sleep with the window open?
No, as long as you are not exposed to drafts and the temperature does not drop too far. In case of noise, pollen, or very cold nights, vigorous shock ventilation before going to bed is the better alternative.
What to do if the bedroom does not drop below 24 °C in summer?
Consistently black out during the day, ventilate across the room at night, and opt for breathable qualities like Seersucker or moisture-regulating TENCEL. A cooling bedding is also an affordable alternative to an air conditioner.
Do I even need to heat the bedroom in winter?
Yes – a completely unheated room cools down, and the moisture from the breathing air condenses on cold walls. It is better to keep the temperature constant at around 16–18 °C rather than turning off the heating completely.
Is there a temperature that is right for everyone?
No. 16–18 °C is a good starting point, but sensitivity to warmth, the duvet, and the bedding shift this range up or down. Test it over two weeks in one-degree increments instead of sticking to a single number.
The right bedroom temperature costs you nothing except a little attention – and in combination with the right bedding directly from the manufacturer, it becomes a sleep climate that you will feel every night.
