10 tips to sleep better in hot weather
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If you think summer is almost over, think again. I’ve seen several reports of hot weather continuing into September and guides on how to prepare your children for the heat when they go back to school. Sounds like a heatwave is coming doesn’t it?
As much as we all love the hot weather and the outdoor opportunities it brings, it can make sleeping a bit of a nightmare. Aside from spending £300+ on an air conditioning unit to cool one room (which hubby did recently and yes, I went a little bit ballistic), it can be tricky to know what will cool you down and allow you to go into a less sweaty slumber.
I’m here to help with 10 tips on how to sleep better in hot weather:
Use a cooling mattress topper
Not only will a cooling mattress topper keep you much cooler for a more enjoyable night’s sleep, it will also conserve energy and provide an extra plush layer to your bed. Sounds divine doesn’t it? Click here to find the best topper for you.
Open the attic hatch
We all know hot air rises and this little trick can help to release the hot air up to the attic and keep the lower levels cooler.
Keep windows closed
Your first thought might be to open windows on a stuffy day, but if the temperature is hotter outside then keep them shut! Otherwise you’re just letting hotter air in, which is the opposite of what we want to achieve in a heatwave.
Shut the blinds in the day
Keeping the blinds closed on super sunny days will prevent the hot sun beaming through the window all day long to keep the room cooler.
Sleep downstairs
The lower levels are always cooler thanks to hot air rising, so open the attic hatch and try sleeping downstairs for a much cooler night’s slumber.
Use a fan with ice
Blast a fan in the bedroom before going to bed and to really maximise its effects, pop a block of ice in front of it! If you’re wondering where on Earth you’ll get a suitable block of ice from, try filling a large Tupperware pot with water and freezing it for the perfect solution.
Sleep under a sheet
If, like me, you can’t sleep without some sort of covering, you’ll want to ditch the feather duvet for the summer months and instead use a soft cotton sheet.
Wear cotton bed clothes
Though it’s tempting to sleep in the nude, it may actually be a better idea to wear lightweight cotton pyjamas. They’ll soak up any sweat during the night to help you sleep soundly.
Have a lukewarm bath or shower
Before diving under the sheets try a refreshing lukewarm bath or shower. Your body temperature will need about one hour to drop to normal sleeping temperature afterwards, so allow enough time before you hit the sack.
Stay hydrated
Most importantly, make sure you are hydrated. Keep an icey water next to the bed and take sips to cool down and to guzzle if you wake up gasping for hydration during the night! If you make sure you’re well-watered you should safely sleep through the night.
P.S – I am not a fan of the air conditioning units as you might have been able to tell! Not only are they a ridiculous price, but they only cool one room. They are noisy too and I can’t sleep with any noise, so we can only cool the room before we go to bed. The room gets super hot super quick, so it’s pretty non-effective. Plus you have to have it taped and secured to the window, which makes the window unusable in the day and we only have one window in our bedroom. It’s also a massive eyesore. Sorry Ben!