A GP has told Brits to follow a 2C rule in their home this winter. According to the expert, this will provide the best temperature for you to sleep and potentially save you money on your heating bills.

Doctor Punam Krishan, TV GP and health expert at stairlift and home lift company Stannah, explained that you should generally keep your bedroom two degrees colder than the rest of your house. This will help tell your body that it is time to rest and prevent dehydration.

More specifically, she advised that the bedroom temperature should be 18C if possible. Dr Punam said: “Yourhome generally should be heated to 20C as a minimum, especially when accommodating for older people.

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“This home temperature should keep the body temperature regulated at a comfortable level.” She continued: “However, the bedroom is the only room where a lower temperature is actually better.

“In this room, 18C is advised as the minimum to support the natural drop in our body’s temperature when we sleep. This temperate drop happens during the low-energy rest and repair state in sleep, and a cooler bedroom supports this and acts like a signal telling your body to rest.

“This temperature is cool enough to support good quality sleep quality but is still warm enough to remain safe and comfortable as it's complemented by additional bedding.” She shared some of the risks of having a bedroom that is too warm.

“A bedroom that’s too warm can disrupt our natural sleep rhythms and potentially cause fatigue during the daytime as a result of restless nights,” Dr Punam said. “Also, being too warm for a prolonged period can be dehydrating, which is particularly problematic for wellbeing.”

For older people, the temperature of the home is especially important. “As we age, our ability to regulate our body temperature declines”, she said. “Meaning older people tend to lose body heat faster and are less likely to feel the cold until their core temperature is already significantly lower, which can potentially lead to cardiovascular issues.

“This means when your older loved ones are showing signs of feeling cold or complaining about the temperature in their wider home, it’s important to check in on them.” She added: “Muscles and joints can also stiffen in the cold leading to decreased balance and a higher chance of falls, which can be particularly dangerous at this time of year.”

“Therefore, I advise UK households to check on their older loved one’s homes and their own, to make sure they’re at a comfortable and safe temperature this winter.” Her recommendations are backed by NHS England, which said: “Heat your home to at least 18C (65F), if you can, you might prefer your living room to be slightly warmer.”

Statistics from the Institute of Health Equity suggest that 21.5 per cent of excess winter deaths are caused by cold homes.