The best summer AC temperature? Experts have an unpopular answer.
Summer 2025 is here and temperatures are reaching dangerous levels, making air conditioning important for comfort and safety.
But what temperature should you set your thermostat at? The answer is a balancing act between energy savings, comfort and safety.
'It is essential to stay cool during hot weather — use air conditioning or go to a cool place where you feel comfortable,' Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City's acting health commissioner, said in a statement. 'Heat is dangerous, but taking certain precautions can prevent illness and protect your health.'
People also have bills to pay as AC demand skyrockets. Here are ways to stay cool while balancing budgets.
Summer 2025 brings killer heat. Here are some surprising ways to stay safe.
The best temperature to set your air conditioning is 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you wake up, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program. Energy companies in Florida, Maryland and Missouri also recommend thermostats at 78 degrees during summer months.
Not many people follow this recommendation, as a 2021 Consumer Reports survey showed. And a 2024 poll from the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, found 72 degrees was a favorite among readers.
But setting your thermostat at a higher temperature can maximize efficiency.
As temperatures ideally drop at night, people should set thermostats 4 degrees warmer when they go to sleep.
If you're away from home, you can avoid unnecessary energy usage by setting temperatures 7 degrees warmer, the energy department said. Even 7 to 10 degrees, for around 8 hours daily, can save up to 10% annually on cooling and heating.
Since windows bring in heat, window curtains can help keep indoors cooler.
Look for air leaks — such as windows, baseboards and doors — and seal them to keep cool air in and hot air outside.
Reduce use of appliances that generate heat, such as stoves or ovens.
Use fans to circulate cool air, but don't use them as your only cooling device.
There are other methods to stay cool, which USA TODAY compiled here. You should also check on others who may be more vulnerable to heat-related illness, including young children, older people and people with chronic health issues.
If it gets too hot, look for a nearby cooling center. Even public areas, such as malls, museums or pools, can give critical respite.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Greta Cross, USA TODAY.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Experts say this is best AC temperature amid heat wave
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The best summer AC temperature? Experts have an unpopular answer.
Summer 2025 is here and temperatures are reaching dangerous levels, making air conditioning important for comfort and safety. But what temperature should you set your thermostat at? The answer is a balancing act between energy savings, comfort and safety. 'It is essential to stay cool during hot weather — use air conditioning or go to a cool place where you feel comfortable,' Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City's acting health commissioner, said in a statement. 'Heat is dangerous, but taking certain precautions can prevent illness and protect your health.' People also have bills to pay as AC demand skyrockets. Here are ways to stay cool while balancing budgets. Summer 2025 brings killer heat. Here are some surprising ways to stay safe. The best temperature to set your air conditioning is 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you wake up, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program. Energy companies in Florida, Maryland and Missouri also recommend thermostats at 78 degrees during summer months. Not many people follow this recommendation, as a 2021 Consumer Reports survey showed. And a 2024 poll from the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, found 72 degrees was a favorite among readers. But setting your thermostat at a higher temperature can maximize efficiency. As temperatures ideally drop at night, people should set thermostats 4 degrees warmer when they go to sleep. If you're away from home, you can avoid unnecessary energy usage by setting temperatures 7 degrees warmer, the energy department said. Even 7 to 10 degrees, for around 8 hours daily, can save up to 10% annually on cooling and heating. Since windows bring in heat, window curtains can help keep indoors cooler. Look for air leaks — such as windows, baseboards and doors — and seal them to keep cool air in and hot air outside. Reduce use of appliances that generate heat, such as stoves or ovens. Use fans to circulate cool air, but don't use them as your only cooling device. There are other methods to stay cool, which USA TODAY compiled here. You should also check on others who may be more vulnerable to heat-related illness, including young children, older people and people with chronic health issues. If it gets too hot, look for a nearby cooling center. Even public areas, such as malls, museums or pools, can give critical respite. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Greta Cross, USA TODAY. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Experts say this is best AC temperature amid heat wave
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The best summer AC temperature? Experts have an unpopular answer.
Summer 2025 is here and temperatures are reaching dangerous levels, making air conditioning important for comfort and safety. But what temperature should you set your thermostat at? The answer is a balancing act between energy savings, comfort and safety. 'It is essential to stay cool during hot weather — use air conditioning or go to a cool place where you feel comfortable,' Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City's acting health commissioner, said in a statement. 'Heat is dangerous, but taking certain precautions can prevent illness and protect your health.' People also have bills to pay as AC demand skyrockets. Here are ways to stay cool while balancing budgets. Summer 2025 brings killer heat. Here are some surprising ways to stay safe. The best temperature to set your air conditioning is 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you wake up, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program. Energy companies in Florida, Maryland and Missouri also recommend thermostats at 78 degrees during summer months. Not many people follow this recommendation, as a 2021 Consumer Reports survey showed. And a 2024 poll from the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, found 72 degrees was a favorite among readers. But setting your thermostat at a higher temperature can maximize efficiency. As temperatures ideally drop at night, people should set thermostats 4 degrees warmer when they go to sleep. If you're away from home, you can avoid unnecessary energy usage by setting temperatures 7 degrees warmer, the energy department said. Even 7 to 10 degrees, for around 8 hours daily, can save up to 10% annually on cooling and heating. Since windows bring in heat, window curtains can help keep indoors cooler. Look for air leaks — such as windows, baseboards and doors — and seal them to keep cool air in and hot air outside. Reduce use of appliances that generate heat, such as stoves or ovens. Use fans to circulate cool air, but don't use them as your only cooling device. There are other methods to stay cool, which USA TODAY compiled here. You should also check on others who may be more vulnerable to heat-related illness, including young children, older people and people with chronic health issues. If it gets too hot, look for a nearby cooling center. Even public areas, such as malls, museums or pools, can give critical respite. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Greta Cross, USA TODAY. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Experts say this is best AC temperature amid heat wave
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Miley Cyrus is opening up about how she overcame stage fright with a cutting-edge therapy technique that she says saved her life. In an interview with the New York Times last month, Cyrus shared that eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, has been pivotal for her healing and mental health. The therapy was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the 1980s to help people alleviate distress around painful memories. The therapy has been used by clinicians for decades but has become an increasingly popular and sought-after treatment to deal with traumatic or adverse life experiences. "Love it. Saved my life," Cyrus said of EDMR. "It's like watching a movie in your mind. ... I came out of it, and I've never had stage fright again. Ever. I don't have stage fright anymore." Cyrus isn't the only celebrity who's been open about undergoing EMDR. In 2021, Prince Harry shared in his Apple TV+ docuseries on mental health with Oprah Winfrey that he uses EMDR to address the discomfort he feels when he flies into London, which he said reminds him of the loss of his mother. "It's almost a wave that can't be stopped because people are hearing their friends talk about it, they're seeing the changes in their family members," Wendy Byrd, a professional counselor and president of the board of directors at the EMDR International Association, previously told USA TODAY. "When I was trained in 2008, I would have to go in and explain what EMDR was and tell my clients why I thought it was such a good therapy. ... Now, I would say almost everyone that comes into my door is asking me for EMDR." What is EMDR? EMDR engages what's called the adaptive information processing system to bring up past traumatic experiences in a safe space, so your brain can essentially reprocess them. "EMDR allows the brain to heal from experiences that were traumatic or adverse or overwhelming by allowing the brain to process that information and to store it in a way where the brain now knows, 'I'm in a different circumstance, that's not happening to me anymore,'" Byrd said. Our brains and bodies have a built-in mechanism for processing information. But sometimes, especially when we experience a trauma, that mechanism becomes overwhelmed. When new information comes in that feels similar to that adverse experience, the brain stores it in the same place as the original trauma, Byrd said. This can make things in your everyday life that are not threatening feel dangerous. "It's the blue car driving down the road, or it's the dog barking, or your spouse's face in that one contorted way, and all of a sudden, you're upset, you're triggered and overwhelmed," she said. How does a clinician conduct EMDR? Byrd said in an EMDR session a clinician will ask questions to bring up the components of a memory, including sensory information – such as sight, sound and smell. A clinician will ask how your body felt during the experience, how you felt during the experience – the emotional information that connects to that memory. Eventually, the clinician will add in eye movements or tapping. This is called bilateral stimulation. Studies show that eye movements facilitate information processing and calm down a person's physiology. "It will make something that feels upsetting, less upsetting. It helps the brain make images that are very vivid, less vivid," Byrd said. "And part of that is because of what we call dual attention, meaning I'm present in the room with the therapist, or over Zoom, nowadays, and I'm thinking about that experience and it's all the ingredients that the brain needs to engage that adaptive information processing mechanism." More: Prince Harry said he is triggered flying into London and uses EMDR to cope. What is it? Part of the reprocessing occurs by the clinician introducing positive things into the recall. A therapist will ask, "What do you want to think now about that experience?" "It brings in the current information. Maybe the positive is that it's over, or maybe it's that you learned from it or that now you now you're worthy," she said. Byrd said EMDR works on various types of trauma, and most people are good candidates for the treatment. EMDR can be effective whether someone is seeking to address a single traumatic event, such as a car crash, or a chronic experience, such as bullying. What is the hope for a patient after they complete EMDR? Patients work with their clinicians to identify future outcomes they desire – how they want to think, feel and behave in the world. For Byrd's part, she said looking to build resilience in clients. "I want their triggers to be very difficult to find," she said. 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