Sleep and body temperature: the connection

There is a definitive relationship between our core body temperature and our feelings of lethargy or energy. When the body is warm, we feel fully awake. When the body is cold, the feeling of tiredness and drowsiness prevails.

Not everyone realizes that our body temperature works and works like an internal clock that controls our sleep cycles. Body temperature also controls metabolism, circulation, and other involuntary activities that our body performs.

It is also extremely important to understand that the increase and decrease in body temperature is one of the mechanisms for our body to produce the feeling of being awake or tired.

Simply put, every time your body temperature starts to drop, you will feel tired, lethargic, and sleepy. When your body temperature rises, you will feel more energetic, alert, and will be able to focus better.

Increasing and decreasing body temperature during the day should not be misinterpreted as the need for rest or sleep. This happens many times during the day, depending on the activity level of the body at any given body temperature.

Every time you put great physical demands on your body, your body temperature will rise above the norm. In response to any intensive physical activity, body temperature drops for a time as soon as the activity stops.

For example, if you work an 8-hour shift in a job that requires intense activity, you might feel totally exhausted and ready to fall asleep when you get home around 4 PM. What you will really find is that this feeling of tiredness is not a sincere need for sleep, but a response from your body due to the drop in body temperature.

If you resist sleeping right now and provide a "relaxation" period for your body after this period, your body temperature will return to normal and you will feel alert again.

If necessary, you can take a nap for 10-30 minutes during the day to physically recharge, it is ideal to take this nap when you experience this drop in body temperature as it will help you sleep. Always limit your naps to 30 minutes to avoid going into deep sleep that will further lower your body temperature.

After waking up from your nap, it is normal to feel lethargic or sleepy, this is because your melatonin levels are higher. Get as much high-intensity light as possible the moment you wake up, and be sure to MOVE your body so that your body temperature works again and restores your natural rhythm.

If you currently lead a very sedentary lifestyle, you may wonder why you feel constantly tired. It is because your body temperature will remain low when you are sitting and do not do any physical activity.