Ensure you sleep soundly in the heat
The heat doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon, and it’s making it a struggle to sleep well at night.
Here we have some expert tips to ensure you get a good night’s sleep, despite the warm weather.
Research shows that disrupted or poor quality sleep can have detrimental effects on concentration, overall health, and personal relationships, so follow these tips and have a happy and healthy summer.
- Water is a great cooling agent – both externally and internally. A shower or bath before bed can help, and always remember to stay well hydrated. Avoid alcohol and caffeine where possible. Aim for 2 litres of water or other liquids
- Dehydration is believed to be one of the main causes of nocturnal leg cramp, which is believed to effect 13 million British adults. Crampex tablets help to both treat and prevent muscle cramp at night
- If you feel the need for some assistance with your sleep, why not try a herbal remedy such as NiteHerb that can help and won’t leave you feeling drowsy the next morning
- Some find fine mist sprays extremely helpful, for example Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray
- Prevent heat build-up in your bedroom throughout the day. Keep curtains and blinds shut during the day, while at night open your windows and allow air to circulate (unless it is hotter outside than inside)
- Use a fan to circulate the air around your room
- It seems obvious, but wear lighter sleep wear (perhaps none!) than during the rest of the year to ensure you don’t overheat during the night
- The duvet you use during the winter, is likely to be too heavy during this weather – use a cotton sheet or light duvet
- If you are sleeping with windows or balcony doors open, you may unfortunately experience insect or mosquito bites. Anthisan Bite and Sting Cream can help to relive the itch and inflammation
- Keep a glass of water by your bed so if you wake up during the night, you can take a sip
Silentnight’s sleep expert, Dr Nerina, offers some more advice:
Dr Nerina said; “Ideally, in order for us to sleep well, there needs to be a fractional temperature difference between our body and our brain – a warm body and a cool head! This is going to be challenging for many of us at the moment so here are some tips to keep cool, and help you get to sleep in the heat:
- Keep a plant mister containing water by your bed to spray on your face during the night
- Stop your bedroom over-heating during the day by keeping curtains and blinds closed
- Wash your feet with cold water before getting into bed, and/or run your wrists under cold water
- Place a wet flannel in the fridge for an hour or so before getting into bed and lay it on your forehead to help you drift off to sleep
- Sleep in cool wet socks or even a damp T-shirt
- Use a fan and place it so that it is blowing the air over a tray of ice – this will cool the room down as the ice melts
- Use light bed clothes/pajamas and bed sheets
- Sleep in the lower part of the house which tends to be cooler
- Chill your pillow case in the freezer before getting into bed.
- Finally, and most importantly stay well hydrated during the day and don’t fret too much if you can’t sleep. Use the time to rest and think positive thoughts, then you will be extra productive the day after!
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health Sleep Sleeping Tips