7 tips to keep cool at night
We spend those long winter months looking forward to summer when holiday season is upon us, the nights are light and the sun is shining. But when you bed down for the night and discover that the heat is stopping you from sleeping, suddenly the excitement of summer somehow saps away and sleep problems begin.
For menopausal women who experience hot flushes or night sweats, summer (or even winter night times) can become unbearable. In a similar way, pregnant women often feel the heat that bit more, so even if you are not going abroad on holiday or experiencing an unexpected British heatwave, there are many methods you can try to keep cool at night and get the enjoyment back into sleeping.
1. Eat lighter meals at night
Pies, curries and soups are always associated with winter, and with good reason. Not only are they warm and comforting but your body uses more energy to digest this type of food making you feel hotter. In the summer, keep your evening meal light and cold, such as with salads or fish dishes, and you will not generate as much heat come bedtime.
2. Cool showers
A shower at night can be a great way of cooling off before bedtime. Even if you are very hot and long for an ice-cold shower, this is not the best way of cooling, as your body will increase its core temperature to counter the effect of the cold water. It is best to have a tepid shower – this washes away any excess sweat before bedtime and keeps your core body temperature cool and stable.
3. Choose your material
The type of material you wear to bed can make all the difference when it comes to keeping cool. Synthetic materials can cause you to sweat more as they are not breathable, so choose natural fibres such as cotton or linen, and replace your duvet for sheets to increase airflow and circulation.
Many people are tempted to abandon their pyjamas in the summer, but this isn’t the best plan, as pyjamas help to absorb sweat, allowing moisture to evaporate between your body and the bed sheets. Again choose natural fibres, and loose fitting pyjamas.
4. Dim the lighting and close the curtains
Everyone knows that light and heat tend to go hand in hand. If you keep your blinds or curtains closed during the day, then the temperature in your bedroom will drop, so that you do not feel as if you are entering a steam room at night. Minimise the number of lightbulbs you have burning, as anyone who has accidentally brushed passed a lit lightbulb will remember the amount of heat they can generate. Instead, you could try energy-saving lightbulbs as these do not become as hot.
5. Use your fridge and freezer
To keep those nice cotton bed sheets extra cool, try wrapping them in a plastic bag and placing them in the fridge for a couple of hours or in the freezer for a few minutes before bedtime. This will give you a nice cool start to the night.
The last thing you want to see when you are feeling too warm is a hot water bottle, but get creative! Fill it with water and place it in the freezer (remember that water expands when it freezes so don’t overfill)! Place in a cover or wrap in a towel for a bed-friendly ice-pack.
6. Keep your feet cool
Feet regulate body temperature so if you are too hot in bed stick your feet out of the bottom of your bedsheets. Make sure you don’t wear socks to bed as you will very quickly overheat.
7. Move your bed
You could get adventurous with your sleeping arrangements. As heat rises, being as low as you can, may help to keep cool. If you have a ground floor try moving downstairs, or else you could even move your mattress onto the floor. In one further step, try sleeping in a hammock as this allows the air to circulate around your body for an extra cool night.
What else can help?
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