When I first heard this Nordic sleep hack I thought it was insane. But science and personal experimentation show it really works Several years ago, I went to visit relatives in Norway in January. When I arrived, their cozy home in the woods looked like a Christmas card, all covered in deep snow and decorated with icicles. It was gorgeous, but freezing. Which is why it took me by surprise when one of my hosts cheerfully asked me on the first night if she should leave the bedroom window open for me. Norwegians don’t just like to shock guests from sunnier climes with the suggestion of leaving the window open in subzero temperatures. Throughout the Nordic countries, people believe passionately in the effectiveness of “fresh air” (read: frigid air) in promoting sound sleep. Survey after survey finds that Americans are underslept and suffering from their lack of quality rest. Could stealing the Nordics’ trick of sleeping in extremely cold temperatures be part of the solution, Magnuson wonders? To find out, she both delves into the scientific literature and conducts her own personal experiment in her home city of chilly Chicago. nudging along the body’s tendency to cool down a bit before bed by lowering the temperature of your bedroom actually helps people sleep more soundly. A room temperature between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit seems to be ideal for maximizing your minutes of peaceful snoozing. And the higher the thermometer climbs, the less well people tend to sleep. Before crawling into bed, I closed the window and shuffled quickly under the covers. The room temperature easily clocked in at the lower 60s — perfect for kick-starting my snooze fest
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Friday, June 27, 2025