Sleeping in the heat can certainly be an unpleasant experience. The excessive summer heat can exhaust anyone and make trying to fall asleep a real chore. If sleeping in the heat is a challenge for you, out our eight top secret tips for sleeping in the hot weather.
Long years of research shows that higher temperatures can affect your sleep habits including how long it takes you to fall asleep as well as your sleep duration and the quality of your rest. Other effects the hot temperatures outside can have on your body are also dehydration, fatigue, and potentially even heatstroke.
So without further ado, let’s find out how to sleep better in the heat!
Top Tips for Sleeping in the Heat
Cool Your Bed With an Ice Pack
You normally think of ice packs as something you put on a bruise to numb the pain, however, they can be quite useful during a heatwave. An easy trick for sleeping in the heat is cooling your bed before you go to sleep. You can do that by taking a couple ice packs from your freezer, wrapping them in a towel and putting them under your bed cover for a few hours.
This way, when you actually get in your bed, the sheets will feel nice and cool, which will help you fall asleep much faster.
Keep Pillowcases in the Freezer
There is nothing better than your pillow feeling cool on a warm summer night. Another trick for cooling down your bed that many people might not be aware of is putting your pillowcases in the freezer.
Throw your pillowcases in a clean plastic bag for protection and throw them in the freezer for 15 minutes then put them on your pillows right before you get in bed. This will instantly make your bed feel fresh and provide a cooling effect that will last all the way through the night. You could also use this handy hack on your duvet cover and pyjamas.
Use a Plant Mister to Cool Down
Your bedroom plants aren’t the only ones that can benefit from a plant mister in the summer heat. Keeping a misting bottle with cold water is a quick and effective way to cool yourself down during the night. A couple of sprays on your face can do wonders when you wake up hot and sweaty in the middle of the night, particularly if there is a breeze coming through the window or you’re sleeping with the fan on.
Don’t Shut Your Bedroom Door
A large number of people think that keeping the windows open is enough to cool your home down, however, this way you’re actually letting hot air in. In order to get the air flowing you should keep both - windows and doors - open. This will allow the air to circulate rather than just bring outside air in.
To encourage a refreshing breeze you can also open another window outside of your bedroom, perhaps in the hallway or bathroom.
If you want to keep your bedroom cool during the day, when you are at work, you should also keep the curtains and blinds closed.
Have a Warm Shower Before Bed
Contrary to popular belief, a cold shower before bed will actually make you feel even warmer as it will raise your body temperature. Instead, have a warm shower!
The water will warm your body, so when you get out of the shower, any breeze coming from your fan or the open window will feel twice as refreshing.
Use Lighter Bed Linen
Thick bed sheets are great in winter, but in summer they will only have you tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. For the warm weather it’s good to invest in lighter, more breathable bedding.
Bamboo fabrics are a good option here. Bamboo is not only naturally hypoallergenic, bamboo fibres are breathable and moisture resistant, which makes them the perfect choice for sleeping in the heat.
Drink a Cup of Tea
This may seem like another backward idea, but a cup of warm tea can help regulate your internal body temperature so you don’t feel the heat as intensely. In fact, studies have shown that hot drinks help release sweat, which can cool you down as it results in a lower amount of heat inside your body.
Additionally, herbal tea is well-known for its calming properties, which makes it the perfect beverage to have before you hit the hay.
Wash Your Sheets More Often
The hot weather causes your body to sweat excessively, which can turn your bedding into a playground for all kinds of germs and mites. This build-up of bacteria, dead skin-cells, and different germs can flare up allergies, make your skin itchy and in general make going to bed an overall unpleasant experience.
In the summer, you should try changing your bed sheets at least once or even twice a week to keep your bed feeling fresh and prevent other factors from disturbing your sleep. You should also wash your bedding at 60 degrees to make sure you get rid of all the bacteria in the sheets.
Hopefully our tips can help you with sleeping in the heat, but if you are still struggling with catching some Z's in the hot weather, perhaps a cooling mattress is something you should look into. If you want to learn more about the advantages of cooling mattresses you can read our article on the topic. You can also browse our blog for more useful sleep related tips.
