Hacker News Reader

Comment by bayindirh | Hacker News Reader

Everybody's body is different. I'm normally very resistant to cold, esp, if I'm moving, yet I cool down when I don't move, and esp. at nights (when body slows down even more), so I need a warmer environment (~20 degrees C) to live comfortably at nights.

Today I'm walking around in a T-Shirt when everyone has some kind of thin coats on, but when I sit and idle for an hour, or get hungry, I cool down considerably.

My wife is extremely resistant to heat, but this disadvantages her in normal and cold weather severely. Her baseline is 22-23 degrees C to live comfortably, with long sleeved warm clothes.

Also, temperature doesn't always indicate cold's penetration power. If the air is dry, -18 degrees C is survivable with a mid-thickness polar coat. If it's humid, try to survive 2-3 degrees C with a down / wind-resistant coat. It won't be easy.

View on HN

Your observations are spot on. People are different and thus handle temperatures differently. The bit about humidity is absolutely 100% in line with my experience. I could handle -11 degrees C in Germany with clothing that would leave me freezing in the UK at -2 degrees C.

The same goes for handling heat and humidity. I grew up with average temps of 35 degrees C in a dry climate. It was not a problem at all. 28 degrees in high humidity I find unbearable.

> Everybody's body is different. I'm normally very resistant to cold, esp, if I'm moving, yet I cool down when I don't move, and esp. at nights (when body slows down even more), so I need a warmer environment (~20 degrees C) to live comfortably at nights.

You're describing something that is true of every human on Earth. Everyone gets cold when they don't move. Everyone's body cools down at night. You don't need 20C to sleep at night.

I've probably written 5 times on this thread already. It's not about sleeping at night.

If you need a warmer temperature at night to feel comfortable, I would strongly recommend trying out a waterbed. It is more expensive than a normal mattress but if correctly fitted to your body it is infinitely more comfortable and always the ideal temperature for you. I would also assume that it is more energy efficient to heat the (well insulated on the bottom/sides) mattress and keep the room cool than heating up the entire room.

Thanks a lot. Sleeping in the cold with a blanket is not a problem for me. My gripe is the period between dinner and bedtime. Body slows down, hence I can't heat myself even with warm clothing if the room is cold. To keep warm, I need a kind of blanket, which impedes my mobility a lot.

Also, feeling cold at night lowers my mood, and I don't want to do anything. However, I'm fine during the day when my body's running at its usual. I live with a t-shirt all year round, even.

> esp. at nights (when body slows down even more), so I need a warmer environment (~20 degrees C) to live comfortably at nights.

Adult sleep quality benefits quite a bit from even cooler temperatures at night, ~18.5 degrees C. Use a heavier blanket.

As I said elsewhere, problem is not about sleeping. It's the time period after dinner and bedtime. My body loves to sleep at colder temperatures.

Being tired, not being able to warm oneself after dinner at home because of a slowed down metabolism at 18 degrees C is not comfortable for me (yes, even with warmer clothes, socks, etc. Hot drinks helps, but temporarily).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com