Even the most hardy of us have probably already started putting the heating on. Chilly, rainy days abound; we turned our central heating on at strategic times starting around the 30th of October.
In fact, 29% of Brits leave our heating on all through the night (according to Slumberdown’s research). It rises to a whopping 87% in colder Scotland.
But leaving your radiators on while you catch some Zzs could have some serious implications for your sleep, skin, and overall health (oh, good). So, we thought we’d explain why.
Sleeping is very temperature-sensitive
Your body is very sensitive to warmth when you’re trying to fall asleep (remember how tough it was to kip during the heatwave?).
It varies from person to person, but The Sleep Foundation puts the ideal temp at around 15.6 to 20°C for an ideal night’s sleep.
If your body is still warm during your sleep, the warmth could well wake you up. A fifth of those who slept with their boiler bubbling away admitted to “waking from their slumber overheated and drenched in sweat.“
Leaving the heating on is tough on your sinuses, as well
It’s cold and flu season, so it’s important to do anything you can to keep your airways clear ― including avoiding leaving your heating on overnight, apparently.
Research from the Medical University of Warsaw showed that “certain indoor heating methods are important risk factors for the occurrence of allergic rhinitis and asthma.“
Central heating dries your nose and throat out, leading to less protective lining ― so if you’ve got a sniffle, unintuitive as it might seem, you might want to turn your heating off at night.
Your skin suffers, too
Central heating tends to dry skin out ― and leaving yours exposed to your radiator overnight can add an extra drying punch.
“Making sure the heating is off during the night is an excellent way of easing skin dryness (especially if you have any skin conditions such as eczema or other inflammatory issues) as well as saving you a bit of money,” said Dr Hiba Injibar from Dermasurge Clinic on Harley Street while speaking to Glamour.
Well, I’m off to reset my boiler’s timer...