Sleeping comfortably at night is something that many of us struggle with during summer months, because it’s particularly easy during this time for us to be too hot to sleep at night.
Now that we’re in the height of summer, we’ve picked out seven of our best tips on how to keep cool at night. But first, let’s look at why our bodies struggle to sleep when it’s hotter outside.
Why is it Hard to Fall Asleep in Summer?
Our body temperature naturally drops during the first two stages of the sleep cycle, where it then remains through the night, to help us sleep. It then rises gradually before we wake up, helping us feel more refreshed and alert.
Body temperature is tied to circadian rhythm, which regulates mood, appetite, sleep, and more of our natural bodily functions. However, external factors like summer heat can interfere with this natural change, which makes it more difficult for us to fall or stay asleep.
How to Stay Cool While Sleeping
So, let’s get into our best tips on how to sleep when it’s hot.
Find the Perfect Temperature
Doctors recommend that during the night, you set the thermostat between 15.6 and 19.4 degrees, but that the ideal temperature for sleeping in summer is 18.3 degrees Celsius.
Setting your bedroom to this recommended sleeping temperature will mean your body doesn’t have to try to adjust to the increased heat, and will be able to naturally follow its circadian rhythm.
Take a Hot Bath
Taking a hot bath naturally helps you to relax, which is ideal before bedtime. While it may sound counterintuitive to warm your body up even more when it’s hot, it’s the getting out of the bath that will benefit you in the summer.
After the calming soak, your body will cool down as it tries to adapt to the new temperature, leaving you in a more comfortable position to try to fall asleep.
We all know and love that satisfying moment when you flip your pillow over to the cold side during the night. So, emphasise this in the summer heat by actively cooling your pillow beforehand.
Putting your pillow briefly in the freezer during the evening will make it nice and cool to lay your head on. Just make sure it’s not left in there too long – 30-40 minutes should be plenty.
Avoid Napping
The summer heat naturally makes us feel more lethargic, which can make it very tempting to nap during the day. However, this will only make it harder to sleep at night as you’ll be less tired as well as hot.
It’s best instead to hold off until the evening so that you can enjoy one full sleep, rather than two shorter, dissatisfying ones.
Wear the Right Clothing to Bed
When it’s hot, the best bedwear is typically something loose and breathable, like linen, which has moisture wicking properties. While cotton may seem like the obvious option, it doesn’t repel moisture particularly well, so you may wake up feeling a bit more sweaty than usual if it’s a particularly hot night.
Sleeping nude is also a great option for when it’s hot, as this improves circulation, and your skin can breathe better than in any material.
Get Blackout Curtains
Investing in blackout curtains are great for temperature regulation year-round. You can draw them during the day to stop heat from getting in during the summer, keeping your bedroom cool. However, they’re also equally useful in the winter to trap the heat in, instead.
Buy a Summer-Friendly Mattress and Bedding
Ventilated latex and open coil mattresses tend to circulate air better, making them less of a heat trap than those with thick foams when the air is hot. Cooling pillows make a great add-on to ventilated mattresses, providing a complete cooling package.
Furthermore, you should use sheets with natural fibres like cotton or linen that have better breathability. Plant-based bedding, such as bamboo, can also have great cooling properties. In contrast, synthetic bedding tends to be neither breathable nor absorbable, meaning that they trap heat.
Get a Cool Night’s Sleep with Get Laid Beds
We know that feeling asleep in the summer can be difficult. That’s why we provide well ventilated mattresses that will help keep you cool, and sleep better. With our full range at Get Laid Beds, we’re sure there’s a mattress that’s right for you and your summer bed setup.
