After a cool, rainy start to summer, the hot, humid weather has arrived, making it difficult for many people to sleep at night. The heat can cause body temperature to fall more slowly than in cooler months, while more exposure to sunlight can upset circadian rhythms.”¯
Sleep experts at Bed Kingdom and at ”¯Mattress Online, both companies in the United Kingdom, contacted Westfair, offering tips to help everyone keep cool and well-rested in the hot weather: ”¯
Keep your shades and blinds drawn ”“ Heat transfers from the sun to rooms during the day, with dark shades and blinds drawing the most heat, so swap dark ones for light ones, letting the outside in only during the early morning hours and late at night, Bed Kingdom said.
Sleep downstairs ”“ Since heat rises, bedrooms, which are usually located upstairs, are among the least comfortable rooms. Bring your mattress downstairs, placing it on slats to allow for circulation, Bed Kingdom said. Too much trouble? Consider “camping” downstairs or on a screened-in porch.
Use a fan to circulate air ”“ If you don”™t have air conditioning, or don”™t want to run it all the time, use an oscillating fan with a timer. Mattress Online suggested placing a small bowl of ice in front of the fan to cool the bedroom faster.
Make bedding your ally ”“ Use sheets made of soft, breathable, moisture-wicking natural materials, like cotton, bamboo and linen, Mattress Online said. Bed Kingdom added that you can freeze your sheets in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the bed cool enough to send you to dreamland.
Also, Mattress Online said, ditch the duvet for a lighter quilt or summer throw and keep your covers separate from those of your sleeping partner.
Wear loose cotton clothes”¯”“ Cotton is also good for nightclothes, Bed Kingdom said. Air circulates freely through cotton, which can help to dry out any damp patches on the skin and cool you down at a faster rate.”¯
Loose clothing is also important as it will hang and not cling to the body, which will further improve airflow.”¯
Your nighttime accessory, a frozen washcloth ”“ Place a washcloth directly in the freezer and then apply it to the pulse points, forehead or back of the neck 90 minutes before bed, Bed Kingdom said. (Aloe vera lotion, applied before bedtime, is also good for cooling you down, Mattress Online said, adding that a lukewarm footbath or (not-so) hot water bottle placed at the feet helps. (Personally, we”™ve found that there is nothing quite like a warm shower or bath to cool you off. Counterintuitive, perhaps, but it works, releasing the body”™s core heat through the hands and feet.) ”¯
Check your position”¯”“ According to Bed Kingdom, sleeping on your side with your legs straight down and your arms away from your body allows you to balance making the least contact with the mattress and increasing the surface area of the body so that the perspiration can evaporate and cool you faster.”¯
A cool way to social distance — While you”™re at it, give yourself and your sleeping partner plenty of space. And send Fido and Fluffy to their beds. Now is not the time to huddle for warmth.
As always, if you don”™t nap during the day, you”™ll have a better chance of sleeping at night.
