How to regulate your temperature
Your body does a good job at regulating your temperature to keep you healthy, but there are some simple steps you can take to support your body with temperature control. Here, I explain how to regulate your temperature for better health.
What is temperature regulation?
Your body works hard to maintain a stable internal temperature, even when the outside temperature changes. It does this via the hypothalamus, which you can think of as your body’s thermostat. It gains information from special temperature receptors on your skin. These trigger your body’s cooling or heating processes as needed.
How does your body regulate its temperature?
Your body has a variety of ways to regulate your temperature. These include the following.
- Sweating. This is one of your body’s most effective ways of keeping you cool. When your temperature rises, your sweat glands start to release sweat onto your skin. Your sweat then evaporates, which has a cooling effect.
- Changes in blood flow. When your body heat increases, your blood vessels widen, which causes more blood flow to the skin. This allows heat to escape. The opposite thing happens when you are cold – blood vessels narrow, to reduce heat loss and keep you warm.
- Shivering. If your body temperature drops, your muscles begin to contract automatically and quickly. These contractions produce heat and help to keep you warm.
Why does temperature regulation matter?
It's essential that your body maintains a stable core temperature. This helps to protect you from overheating during hot weather and exercise. Also, temperature regulation can impact the quality of your sleep because your body needs to cool down slightly to sleep deeply.
What can affect your body’s temperature regulation?
Many things can impact how well your body can regulate your skin temperature. These include the following.
Your age
Being very young or old can make it harder to regulate skin temperature effectively. Babies in particular struggle with temperature changes as their regulation system is still developing. For older adults, sweating and blood flow processes can change, making it harder to cope with the heat.
Medications
Some medications impact key aspects of temperature regulation such as:
- hydration levels
- sweating
- blood flow
This means you can struggle to stay cool when the weather is hot. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor if you have concerns about any medicine you take.
Health issues
Certain health conditions can make it harder for your body to regulate its temperature. For example, thyroid conditions can alter how much heat your body makes, and nerve damage from diabetes can affect how you sweat.
Signs that you are becoming too hot include:
- excessive sweating
- light-headedness
- muscle cramps
- headache
Signs that you are becoming too cold include:
- shivering
- numb fingers or toes
- pale skin
How to support healthy temperature regulation
Your body does a lot of the work to regulate a healthy temperature for you. But there are some key lifestyle changes you can make to help support your body with these processes.
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Keep well hydrated. Your body needs enough fluids to cool itself down, so it’s important to avoid dehydration.
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Avoid excess heat. If possible, aim to avoid working out in the hottest part of the day. Adapt your routine to work out early morning or evening.
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Wear breathable clothing. Lightweight clothes make it easier for sweat to evaporate from your skin, which can cool you down more quickly.
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Stay active. Regular exercise helps your body to cope with heat stress over time, but build up slowly and stay hydrated.
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Keep your room cool at night. Sleeping in a cool environment can support your body to wind down for rest.
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Sources Sources
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- Tansey EA, Johnson CD. Recent Advances in Thermoregulation. Adv Physiol Educ. 2015;39(3):139–148. doi:10.1152/advan.00126.2014
- Harding EC, Franks NP, Wisden W. The Temperature Dependence of Sleep. Front Neurosci. 2019;13:336. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00336
- Sawka MN, Leon LR, Montain SJ et al. Integrated Physiological Mechanisms of Exercise Performance, Adaptation and Maladaptation to Heat Stress. Compr Physiol. 2011;1(4):1883–1928
- Parsons K. Human Thermal Environments. 3rd ed. CRC Press; 2014
- Bouchama A, Knochel JP. Heat Stroke. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;346(25):1978–1988. doi:10.1056/NEJMra011089
- Castellani JW, Young AJ. Human Physiological Responses to Cold Exposure: Acute Responses and Acclimatization to Prolonged Exposure. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2016;196:63–74. doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2016.02.009
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