We all know what it’s like to sleep poorly. After a fitful night, we start the day irritable, unfocused, impatient and probably downright unpleasant to be around.

Good sleep habits are a major component in overall health. That’s why we encourage people to treat their bed and bedroom like a sanctuary. It’s important to keep it dark, quiet, and peaceful.

There are two other aspects that often get overlooked when it comes to sleep heath: a room’s temperature and humidity. Both play a part in helping a person achieve a restful sleep.

Let’s start with temperature. Have you ever tried to sleep when it’s too hot? It usually results in a lot of tossing and turning and wiggling around. It’s unbelievably difficult to get comfortable enough to fall asleep when the temperature is too high.

A similar situation happens when it’s too cold out. When a chill sets in, it can be difficult to think of anything else but how frozen your toes are. At least with the cold, you can add layers – put on socks and a sweater or heap some more blankets on top of you.

Even on cold nights, our bodies naturally lower its internal temperature as we are falling asleep. So when you are thinking about the best temperature for your bedroom, it’s better to err on the side of a cooler temperature so that your body is in the right condition to initiate sleep.

Some experts say that the idea room temperature is 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15.5-19 degrees Celsius. If you live in a very warm climate or a place that is prone to heat waves, you might want to consider investing in an air conditioning unit.

You can look into a portable one that you can move between rooms. Keep it in your living room during the day and move it to your bedroom at night. Another option is to get a high quality fan. Some people find the white noise of a fan helpful in falling asleep.

The other component for a comfortable sleep environment is the humidity in the room. If a room is too humid or too dry, it might induce the kind of wakefulness that drives you crazy.

The humidity in the air generally changes during the seasons. The air naturally becomes dryer in the winter and more humid in the summer. Of course, this will differ from place to place. Too much or too little humidity can affect how you breathe, how much you sweat. Or it can have the other effects – you may wake up with dry, cracked lips or sore nasal passages.

Adjusting the humidity might mean that you purchase a humidifier. Don’t forget to change the water in your humidifier regularly, and to clean the apparatus at least once a week to prevent bacteria from building up.

A dehumidifier will have to the opposite, and will help remove some of the moisture from the air. Again, if this is not an option for you, a fan with good efficiency will help by pushing some of the stale and stagnant air around the room.