A Spanish pharmacist explains why people often kick off bed sheets at night, linking it to the body's need to cool down for better sleep.
Body's cooling mechanism for sleep
At night, many people wake up with a foot outside the bedsheet, a leg that sticks out, or the pillow flipped to the cool side. This reflex occurs frequently during winter, to the point of resembling a compulsion. A Spanish pharmacist claims it is based on a simple scientific principle: the way the body manages its heat to find sleep. When this mechanism is disrupted, the quality of rest declines.Cooling needed for deep sleep
In a video posted on TikTok, pharmacist Elena Monje (@infarmarte) explains that "to sleep well and reach the deepest stages of sleep, the body must slightly lower its internal temperature." She adds that "normally, it drops by half a degree and this small change is crucial for the brain to enter deep sleep." This slight cooling actually serves as a signal to initiate sleep.Blood flow redistributes heat
To cool down, the body does not act like a fan. According to Elena Monje, it does so by "redistributing blood flow." She describes: "More blood is sent to the skin and extremities, which releases heat into the environment," then adds that "this is why, without us realizing, we take out the little foot or search for a cooler surface." The feet and hands then become natural radiators.Disrupted cooling affects sleep
The pharmacist reminds that "if this temperature drop does not occur, you will take longer to fall asleep and your rest will be affected." She adds that this "leads to less deep sleep and more fragmented sleep patterns."
