Obsession with vests, socks, any kind of cool air, air conditioning

[waterbottless]

I am away in Italy at the moment and this is all people talk about in relation to my kids and themselves.

It's like 35 degrees every day and still 30 at night and yet, apparently they need to wear a vest.

I am staying with some of my H's relatives, but there have also been friends visiting who are just horrified at the air conditioning being on 22 degrees. Apparently it's like being at the North Pole. They put their aircon on 27 and on low.

We went to a shopping centres and I was sweating as the air con was on so little.

I know in places like the states and Dubai, maybe occasionally it can get a bit chilly inside, but I would prefer that.

Apparently we are all going to get really really sick from the cold air. Are there more sick people in places that use air con more ? I doubt it.

My kids should also wear socks in the house as there are tiles on the floor and they'll get sick from walking barefoot.

If we are ever outside at night ( at 30 degrees ) and a tiny bit of wind blows, they all start freaking out and getting a cardigan for their shoulders, so they don't get sick.

I find it totally OTT and I am genuinely wondering if Italians get sick less because of these habits ? They seem obsessed with getting a chill.

Not according to me. According to sleep scientists. I wouldn’t suggest that those who sleep in warmer rooms get no sleep at all, just that at a macro level, 16-19 is optimal. And coincidentally, my preference coincides with the research.

It would be very interesting to see the demographic and geographic breakdown of that research.

I got so unwell from aircon, ruins my holidays. I get really bad sinuses every single time

It all depends on your tolerance level: I'm Scottish, so to me 18 degrees is bikini weather.

I'm in France ATM and it's around 26 degrees - this morning, I saw a young woman at the train station wearing an anorak, which blew my mind.

I have Swedish friends who scoff when I turn the heating on when it hits 12 degrees and I can no longer feel my fingers. They laugh at my puny description of cold.

Similarly, I lived in Singapore for a while and have mates who think that anything under 26 degrees is cruel and unusual.

I have AC in my home. It's set to 26/27, and I only turn it on when it hits 33ish.

Any cooler and I shiver. I use it to keep the humidity down at night, basically.

I think the Italians prefer not to experience a big difference between the cool indoors and the hotter outdoors. There may well be health benefits to keeping the daily range of temperatures and humidity small.

It's a cultural difference, I get it too with dh's relatives, used to drive me mad when the kids were little!

Same where I am in Portugal, they are obsessed with not having the air con on too much as they will get coughs/allergies etc. I remember taking my Dd out for a walk in the pram a week or so after she was born and my neighbour was horrified I was taking her out in the first 3 months, it was July, she was covered up and just a little walk around

I mean, they live in a hot country, so of course they are used to hot weather and not used to cold weather?

If I go in my Indian colleague’s office (as in recent migrant from India, not British Asian), she has the heat on like a sauna and is still wearing a jumper. Totally unbearable for British people, too cold for her.