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The Temperature Trick: Cool Down, Warm Up, Rest Well
In this episode of Pause Here, we explore temperature - hot, cold, and why your body cares so much. We look at how temperature shapes your stress levels, energy, recovery, and sleep, not just as background comfort, but as one of the body’s core signals for safety, readiness, and rest.
You’ll learn why cold exposure can feel sharp, intense, and strangely clarifying, why warmth can help the body soften into recovery, and why the natural drop in body temperature before sleep is one of the quiet ways your system prepares to rest. From cold showers to saunas to the science of cooling down at night, we unpack how temperature shifts can influence the nervous system in real, practical ways.
Press play, warm up, cool down, and listen to what your body’s been trying to tell you.
- Van Someren, E. J. W. (2000). More than a marker: Interaction between the circadian regulation of temperature and sleep, age-related changes, and treatment possibilities. Chronobiology International, 17(3), 313–354.
- Tai, Y., Obayashi, K., Yamagami, Y., & Saeki, K. (2023). Association between circadian skin temperature rhythms and actigraphic sleep measures in real-life settings. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 19(7), 1281–1292.
- Lee, E., Kolunsarka, I. A., Kostensalo, J., Ahtiainen, J. P., Haapala, E. A., Willeit, P., Kunutsor, S. K., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2022). The effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: A multi-arm randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 323(3), R289–R299.
- Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: A review of the evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121.
- Haghayegh, S., Khoshnevis, S., Smolensky, M. H., Diller, K. R., & Castriotta, R. J. (2019). Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 46, 124–135.
- Cain, T., Menzies, V., Fay, N., Gray, P., Norton, C., & Stevens, C. J. (2025). Effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 20(1), e0317615.
- Buijze, G. A., Sierevelt, I. N., van der Heijden, B. C. J. M., Dijkgraaf, M. G., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. W. (2016). The effect of cold showering on health and work: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 11(9), e0161749.
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By Pausing PointIn this episode of Pause Here, we explore temperature - hot, cold, and why your body cares so much. We look at how temperature shapes your stress levels, energy, recovery, and sleep, not just as background comfort, but as one of the body’s core signals for safety, readiness, and rest.
You’ll learn why cold exposure can feel sharp, intense, and strangely clarifying, why warmth can help the body soften into recovery, and why the natural drop in body temperature before sleep is one of the quiet ways your system prepares to rest. From cold showers to saunas to the science of cooling down at night, we unpack how temperature shifts can influence the nervous system in real, practical ways.
Press play, warm up, cool down, and listen to what your body’s been trying to tell you.
- Van Someren, E. J. W. (2000). More than a marker: Interaction between the circadian regulation of temperature and sleep, age-related changes, and treatment possibilities. Chronobiology International, 17(3), 313–354.
- Tai, Y., Obayashi, K., Yamagami, Y., & Saeki, K. (2023). Association between circadian skin temperature rhythms and actigraphic sleep measures in real-life settings. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 19(7), 1281–1292.
- Lee, E., Kolunsarka, I. A., Kostensalo, J., Ahtiainen, J. P., Haapala, E. A., Willeit, P., Kunutsor, S. K., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2022). The effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: A multi-arm randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 323(3), R289–R299.
- Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: A review of the evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121.
- Haghayegh, S., Khoshnevis, S., Smolensky, M. H., Diller, K. R., & Castriotta, R. J. (2019). Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 46, 124–135.
- Cain, T., Menzies, V., Fay, N., Gray, P., Norton, C., & Stevens, C. J. (2025). Effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 20(1), e0317615.
- Buijze, G. A., Sierevelt, I. N., van der Heijden, B. C. J. M., Dijkgraaf, M. G., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. W. (2016). The effect of cold showering on health and work: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 11(9), e0161749.