Turn Up the Heat, Turn Down the Health Risks: Why 65°F is Your Winter Wellness Friend (2024)

FAQs

Is 65 too cold for a house in winter? ›

In sum, it's important to keep your thermostat at 65 degrees or warmer when it's cold out. The cold is more than just unpleasant, it can cause health problems overtime. Keeping your home warm will keep you and your family happy and healthy.

There are multiple factors but the main reason is the dry air. Dry air causes evaporation of the moisture from our skin which in the process makes us feel cooler.

The ideal home temperature for sleeping is generally between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit -- and you might even sleep better because of it.

A detailed study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found residents preferred a wintertime heater setting between 67 °F and 70 °F (19 °C to 21 °C). The Department of Energy recommends a winter heat setting of 68 °F (20 °C), which matches up very well with the temperatures most of us are comfortable with.

“Looking at the available research, most studies agree that a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for sleeping, with temperatures above 75 degrees and below 54 degrees disruptive to sleep.

You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.

If you plan to be away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F. For the long term, add insulation to attics, basem*nts, and crawl spaces.

To do so, it is recommended to keep your thermostat within the 68-75 degree range for the best results. According to Energy.gov, you can get a 5-15% reduction of your energy usage per year if you lower your thermostat by 10-15 degrees, for about 8 hours a day.

Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.

It's advisable to keep your home below 80 degrees throughout the summer. A house that's too warm can be dangerous to people, pets, and the soft surfaces in your home. Set the winter temperature to 68 degrees when you're awake and 62 degrees when you're sleeping.

What temperature is best for sleep? ›

Set it somewhere between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. People sleep better in that temperature range. “Not only in terms of maintaining sleep, but also of falling asleep,” says Alon Avidan, MD, MPH, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center. That also goes for how long you sleep and how well.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a family that sets back its thermostat by about 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day while sleeping or out of the house can save 5 to 15 percent a year on home heating costs.

Best House Temperature While Away: 55–80 degrees

In general, it's safe to increase indoor temperature up to 80 degrees in summer and decrease indoor air temperature to 55 degrees in winter, but there are exceptions - for example, if you live with a baby or an elderly or immune-compromised individual.

According to the World Health Organization, it is dangerous to live for a prolonged period of time in a home under 64 degrees.

But don't take it from us, take it from the World Health Organization: They recommend a temperature of at least 64°… and raising that to at least 70° if there are babies, elderly people, or otherwise immunocompromised people in the home.

Set your thermostat (don't turn it off) at the lowest temperature that will keep your pipes from freeze damage (at least 50 to 55 degrees should do it).