Maintaining a low core body temperature throughout the night is essential for stabilizing sleep and increasing its duration. Active cooling interventions can reduce the likelihood of middle-of-the-night wake-ups in older adults and individuals with insomnia from 50% to less than 5%, while also boosting deep non-REM sleep brainwaves. The "warm bath effect" facilitates this process; a hot soak before bed draws blood to the skin's surface, causing core temperature to plummet upon exiting and increasing deep sleep by up to 15%. For optimal rest, the ambient bedroom temperature should remain between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius (61–65°F). Conversely, waking up is a thermal process requiring a temperature rebound. Core brain temperature naturally rises during the final 30 minutes of sleep, a transition that can be eased by programming thermostats to increase the room temperature to approximately 21 degrees Celsius (70°F) shortly before an alarm sounds.
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