It’s fitting that as an Arctic blast sweeps over most of the country, new research has emerged that suggests temperatures might influence our mental health as we age.
More specifically, the research coming out of the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, discusses a robust connection between indoor temperatures and the cognitive health of older adults. The researchers discovered that maintaining a temperature range between 68°F and 75°F curbed their cognitive issues.
Conversely, deviations of 7°F or more in either direction doubled the likelihood of reported attention problems.
“Our results suggest that even under the current climate a considerable portion of older adults encounter indoor temperatures detrimental to their cognitive abilities,” the authors wrote. “Climate change may exacerbate this problem, particularly among low-income and underserved older adults. Addressing this issue in public health and housing policy is essential to building climate-resiliency in this vulnerable population.”
Methodology and Results
The 12-month research project, appearing in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, monitored 47 adults aged 65 and older, and discovered that today’s climate conditions – 2023 was the warmest year on record – already pose risks to cognitive health. And underserved populations with limited access to indoor temperature regulation are at even greater risk.
“Our findings underscore the importance of understanding how environmental factors, like indoor temperature, impact cognitive health in aging populations,” Harvard Medical School instructor and lead author Amir Baniassadi, PhD, explained. “This research highlights the need for public health interventions and housing policies that prioritize climate resilience for older adults. As global temperatures rise, ensuring access to temperature-controlled environments will be crucial for protecting their cognitive well-being.”
The U.S. National Institute on Aging and the TMCITY foundation funded the research, which builds on earlier study results that tied temperature to sleep and cognitive function.
Best Bedroom Temp for Better Sleep?
The authors of that earlier research – from 2023 – identified a troubling narrative: Sleep efficiency among older adults tumbled between 5 percent and 10 percent as the nighttime ambient temperature jumped from 77°F to 86°F. The researchers added that their findings exposed substantial differences in optimal bedroom temperature between individuals.
“These findings emphasize the need for personalized temperature adjustments to improve sleep quality in older adults,” Baniassadi, the lead researcher on that project, said.
Baniassadi and his team used wearable sleep monitors and environmental sensors to gather data from 50 participants. Over the course of more than 11,000 nights, the scientists looked at the participants’ sleep duration, how efficient that sleep was, and how restless they were.
The paper, which appeared in Science of The Total Environment, emphasized the effect of environmental factors on sleep quality, particularly in older adults. This is a group that already faces higher risk for disrupted and inadequate sleep.
Baniassadi also pointed to the broader implications of climate change, noting that rising nighttime temperatures in urban areas could disproportionately threaten low-income older adults. The study authors call for targeted interventions to enhance sleep environments and improve outcomes related to health, mood, and overall well-being.
He also argued for stronger public health measures, such as improved housing policies, energy efficiency, and expanded access to cooling resources, all in a bid to safeguard aging populations against rising global temperatures.
Further Reading
Research Helps Clear Up Confusion About Cognition
Cognitive Decline Threatens Financial Stability of Older Americans
