It’s summer. Yay. However, whilst we can enjoy blue skies and glorious sunshine in the day, we’re also in for those hot, sticky and sleepless summer nights.
The optimal bedroom temperature for sleep is between 16 and 21 degrees Celsius and the brain actually needs to be a fraction of a degree cooler than the rest of the body, so if your bedroom, body and brain are too hot, it can mean a restless and uncomfortable night.
Here are 20 things you can do to help you beat the bedtime heat thanks to Warren Evans bed makers and their Sleep Expert, Dave Gibson.
Chill Your Sheets
Put the sheet you are sleeping under in the fridge in a plastic cover. Lying under freshly chilled sheets helps your temperature to drop into sleep mode.
Iced Hot Water Bottle
Fill a hot water bottle with ice water and place on the ‘cooling points’ of your body, such as behind your knees or ankles. The wrists, neck, groin and elbows are other ‘pulse points’ to pay attention to.
Use Aloe Vera
Replace your bedtime body moisturiser with an Aloe Vera based after sun cream, kept in the fridge for added cooling power.
Spray Water
Fill an empty and clean perfume bottle with chilled water and keep it by your bedside, spray on your face, back of your neck, and back of your knees to cool down.
Wear Cotton Pyjamas
Use cotton pyjamas and thin pure cotton sheets for your bed. Soft and breathable, high quality cotton is the ideal bedding material to sleep between to stay cool.
Eat Small Meals
Eat small light meals often, rather than large meals more sparsely, to avoid creating metabolic heat as you digest your food, which will warm you up. Avoid too much protein as this is a known food group to boost your metabolic rate, and heats your body up.
Eat Spicy Food
There’s a reason hotter countries like India and Thailand are famous for their delicious curries. The chemical capsaicin in spicy food stimulates heat receptors in your mouth, enhancing circulation and causing sweating, which cools the body down. Be sure to eat at least 3 hours before you go to bed though, as spicy foods can also stop you sleeping well.
Drink Chrysanthemum Tea
A popular Chinese remedy, chrysanthemum tea is said to have ‘cooling’ properties whilst also helping you keep a clear head and being caffeine free.
Morning Exercise
Exercise in the mornings out of the sun, you want to give your body as much time as possible to cool down when the days are warmer. Exercise is best before the heat of the day starts to set in, around 7am if you can do it.
Wear Cotton Clothing
Wear loose cotton clothing, preferably light coloured, throughout the day. Cotton is lightweight and loose clothing promotes air circulation, ensuring your clothes are not retaining your body heat.
Have a Tepid Showers
Keep your evening bath or shower tepid, which makes it easier for your body to reach the optimal sleep temperature. Leaving your hair wet can also help cool you during the night.
Cool Your Room Down
Keep windows closed and curtains drawn in the day to keep the house cooler, particularly those facing east or west. This stops your home warming up in the sun and in the evening can also help block the evening light, helping you to wind down more easily.
Turn of Electrical Devices
Turn off all electrical devices in the room as these produce heat when running (this will also help you avoid those tempting, late-night social media and email check-ups!). Use natural light if you can rather than light bulbs that emit heat.
Keep your feet and toes cool
Your feet and toes have a lot of blood vessels and can help the body cool quickly if kept cool. Put a hot water bottle in the freezer to create an ice pack for your feet at night or put your feet into a bucket of cold water before bed. If you don’t want to use these techniques also try dangling your feet and toes outside of the covers.
Try using fans in different ways
Put a damp sheet between the fan and your bed, or use it to push the hot air out of an open window. You can also position a roasting pan full of ice in front of the fan to cool the air. Always try to keep the bedroom door open too as it allows the air to circulate. Change the rotation on ceiling fans to counter clockwise so that they pull hot air up and out, rather than spinning it around the room.
Damp Sheet in Front of Window
Putting a damp sheet in front of an open window will have a similar effect if there is any breeze, cooling the air as it comes into the bedroom.
Sleep on a damp sheet or damp towel
This is also known as the Egyptian method, as it’s used in this area of the world. Make sure you protect your mattress with a dry towel underneath.
Drink Water Regularly During the Day
Drink water regularly during the day, but not too much at night. About ½ pint before bed will be enough to keep you hydrated (if it’s very hot and you are sweating) and prevent you from having to use the bathroom regularly. Have a glass by your bed in case you wake up dehydrated.
Sleep in separate beds
As this will enable you both to stretch out and prevent your combined body temperature overheating you.
Sleep Downstairs
Even try sleeping downstairs if it’s especially hot. Heat rises and the lower rooms in your home will be cooler.