Home LivingWellnessSleep9 expert-approved tips to help you sleep better in the heatwaveStruggling to sleep in the heat? Experts give their tips for getting a good night’s rest during a heatwaveWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleep9 expert-approved tips to help you sleep better in the heatwaveStruggling to sleep in the heat? Experts give their tips for getting a good night’s rest during a heatwaveWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Struggling to sleep in the heat? Experts give their tips for getting a good night’s rest during a heatwave
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Maddi Bazzocco / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Maddi Bazzocco / Unsplash)
It’s official… the UK heatwave is here and it’s HOT! Even with thebest mattressbeneath you, sleeping in a heatwave can be tricky. Not only can it be difficult to get to sleep when the temperatures are soaring, but summer nights are typically filled with tossing and turning, sweating profusely and finding it harder to breathe.
Now that we’re into summer, hot sticky nights will become fairly regular but your sleep doesn’t need to suffer as a result. To solve your sleepless nights in the heat, I spoke to sleep experts fromHappy Beds,MattressNextDay,Time4SleepandChristy, and they’ve given us their best tips for getting a good night’s sleep in a heatwave.
1. Choose a light tog duvet
Switching your sheets and duvet is a great way to keep cool and comfortable in the heat. There are many ways you can optimise your bed for the heat and if you’ve invested in a mattress with cooling technology, you’ve already set yourself up for success. A tip that should be followed throughout the season is changing to thebest duvetwith a different tog rating. According to bedding brand Christy, “during the hotter months, a lighter tog of 4.5 is recommended but if you like something a little heavier but still breathable, try a 10.5 tog.”
2. Consider the colour and material of your bedding
The colour of your duvet cover is another thing to consider. Darker coloured sheets absorb light making them hotter, whereas lighter sheets will reflect the light away. Choosing lighter colouredbed sheetsis the best way to shield light from your sleep set-up.
Similarly, changing to sheets that are lighter in material will also help you regulate your temperature and prevent you from getting too sweaty. Christy recommends pure cotton sheets as they “have sensory benefits and being naturally breathable, they help regulate moisture levels, preventing that dreaded clamming feeling.” Other recommended materials you can choose include bamboo, silk or linen.
(Image credit: Eve Sleep)
(Image credit: Eve Sleep)
3. Choose the right sleep position
Yes, you read that right – your sleep position can contribute to you feeling hot and bothered. According to CEO of Happy Beds, Rex Isap, “during a heatwave, my recommendation is to try falling asleep on your back. This is because it keeps your head elevated, allowing air to circulate your face, and therefore, allows you to feel cooler overall.”
If you’re not used tosleeping on your back, you might toss and turn more frequently which can increase your body temperature. If this is you, Isap suggestssleeping on your side“with your stomach facing towards the bed. Make sure to keep your face turned upright so air can circulate your face and keep your feet free from any covers being placed on top of them.”
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4. Put a cold water bottle in your bed
Before you get in between the sheets, give your bed the icy treatment to cool it down. Sleep expert at Time4Sleep, Dr Patel suggests placing a cold water bottle in your bed for an hour before going to sleep. This will help your bedding lower your body temperature, keeping you cool and helping you fall asleep faster.
5. Put your sheets in the freezer… yes, really
Dr Patel goes on to say that you should put your sheets in a resealable plastic bag to avoid the sheets becoming wet, and to only leave them in the freezer for around half an hour to reach a comfortable cool temperature… and so you don’t freeze them!
(Image credit: Anna Shvets from Pexels)
(Image credit: Anna Shvets from Pexels)
6. Place ice in front of your fan
7. Cut light out of your bedroom
(Image credit: Tracey Hocking / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Tracey Hocking / Unsplash)
8. Eat less before bed
Regardless of whether it’s hot or not, you should be having your last meal or food of the day2-3 hours before you go to bed. This window gives your body enough time to fully digest your food without disrupting your circadian rhythm. It’s especially important to stick to this during a heatwave as “eating can make you feel hot and uncomfortable as digesting food creates heat which you don’t want if you’re struggling with a hot bedroom”, says Happy Beds.
9. Cool your body down before you sleep
Want more heatwave sleep advice? Try these4 weird summer sleep hacks.
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