It’s about to get hot, hot, hot.
From 15th July the heat is on, with temperatures set to reach up to 35°C.
Hayley Thistleton, sleep expert at SleepSeeker, chatted with us and put together some handy tips and tricks for you to sleep with ease through the scorching heat!
1. Get the right duvet
Certain duvets and pillows can trap body heat causing you to feel excessively warm. Look out for summer duvets made of hollowfibre, which controls your temperature while you sleep. Of course, low tog duvets of around 4.5 tog are the best option when trying to keep cool. You can now even get dual tog duvets, which have a cool 4.5 tog side and a warm 10.5 tog side, perfect for those couples where one likes it hot and one likes it cold!
2. Avoid exercise
Avoid doing anything strenuous close to bed-time as this can make it harder for the body to cool down during sleep. However, being active during the day can help reduce stress and boost the amount of time you spend in the deeper/restorative stages of sleep, just aim to finish at least 90 minutes before you head to bed.
3. Use a fan or cold compress
A bed fan is best as it provides a more direct flow but any normal fan pointed at your body works well. A simple trick is to place a bowl of ice or bottles of frozen water in front of the fan to cool the air. The most important parts of the body to keep cool while trying to sleep are the head, feet and central body. You can do this by using a wet towel or cloth as a cold compress.
4. Have a warm bath
Even though it might seem like the opposite of what you should be doing to keep cool, it’s worth taking a warm bath about an hour or two before bedtime as this helps your body temperature to decrease after you leave the bath and your body adapts to the cooler environment.
5. Sleep in pyjamas
Wearing pyjamas actually draws sweat away from your body and allows you to keep cooler and more comfortable so it’s worth wearing some loose, thin clothing instead of sleeping naked. When it comes to bedding, light-coloured bedding made from natural fibres like cotton and linen offer better breathability. For extra cooling, freeze your pillow cases in the evening before getting into bed.
