Herbie Murray
Summer is a difficult season to get a good night's sleep. Soaring temperatures, longer days, busy social schedules, and higher humidity can all contribute to a restless night. However, there are several ways to improve your sleep quality during the summer months. From adjusting your environment to changing your behaviour, you can make the summer nights more bearable and sleep-friendly.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Exposure to light | Exposure to light in the morning can help you sleep better. However, exposure to light later in the day contributes to more episodes of waking during the night. |
| Temperature | Higher temperatures during the summer can disrupt sleep. The ideal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Stress | Stress can impact your ability to sleep. Try to avoid stressful activities before bed. |
| Meals | Avoid heavy meals before bedtime. |
| Exercise | Aim for 30 minutes of exercise per day, 5 days a week. |
| Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol | Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bedtime. |
| Sleep environment | Create a sleep-friendly environment. Avoid using electronic devices in bed. |
| Sleep routine | Stick to a consistent sleep routine. |
| Clothing | Choose lightweight and breathable clothing or sleep naked to help regulate body temperature. |
| Allergies | If you suffer from allergies, consider showering before bed to wash off pollen. |
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What You'll Learn
Keep your room cool, dark and quiet
Keeping your room cool, dark, and quiet is essential for a good night's sleep during the summer. Here are some tips to achieve that:
Keep Your Room Cool
- Use a fan or air conditioning to cool down your room. You can turn off the air conditioning before bedtime to save energy and money.
- Insulated cellular shades or medium-coloured fabric drapes can reduce heat gain by up to 60% and 33% respectively.
- Choose lightweight and breathable bedding and pyjamas made from natural fibres like cotton, linen, or silk.
- Consider using cooling sheets and pillows designed to dissipate heat and promote airflow.
- Take a shower before bed to cool down. Foley recommends this, suggesting that it can also help keep your sheets cleaner for longer.
- Sleep naked if you're comfortable. This can help maintain a cooler core temperature and promote better sleep due to increased airflow and the absence of layers.
Keep Your Room Dark
- Use blackout curtains or black shower curtains to block out early sunrises and unwanted light.
- If you don't want to invest in blackout curtains, try a sleep mask instead.
- Avoid electronic screens at least one hour before bedtime. The blue light waves from these devices interfere with your body's natural melatonin production, which is crucial for regulating your sleep-wake cycles.
Keep Your Room Quiet
- Use a sound machine or a loud fan to create white noise, which can help block out unwanted noise from your environment.
- If you don't want to use a fan, consider downloading white noise recordings or purchasing a white noise machine.
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Avoid screens and stressful activities before bed
The light from electronic screens, such as computers, phones, and televisions, can interfere with your body's production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating sleep. Melatonin is often referred to as the "sleep hormone" because its release is tied to our sleep-wake cycles. When it gets dark, our body clock signals the release of melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy.
However, the blue light emitted by electronic devices can suppress the production of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep. This is especially true during the summer months when there is already greater exposure to sunlight, which can affect our sleep patterns. So, it is advisable to avoid screens at least 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. Instead, you can try reading a book, taking a lukewarm bath, or doing some gentle stretching to wind down and signal to your body that it's time to prepare for sleep.
In addition to avoiding screens, it is also important to minimise stressful activities before bed. Stress and anxiety can disrupt your sleep by interfering with your body's ability to release melatonin effectively. Instead of engaging in stressful activities, try to incorporate relaxing practices into your bedtime routine. This could include activities such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or listening to calming music. Creating a calm and peaceful environment can help you fall asleep more easily and improve your overall sleep quality.
Furthermore, it is recommended to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps to regulate your body's internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling more rested. A consistent sleep schedule promotes better sleep hygiene and can improve your overall sleep quality, not just during the summer months but throughout the year.
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Exercise regularly and eat consistent meals
Exercise and diet play a crucial role in improving your sleep quality, especially during the summer months.
Exercising regularly is one of the cornerstones of health, and it benefits nearly every system in the body. Scheduling regular exercise improves your sleep quality and offers immediate benefits, such as reduced anxiety and lowered blood pressure. Aim for regular, moderate exercise a few days a week, and try to get outdoors to soak up some natural light, which helps keep your body's natural sleep rhythms in sync. Just be sure to avoid exercising too close to bedtime, giving your body a couple of hours to wind down before sleep.
A healthy and consistent diet also contributes to better sleep. Eating at regular times and avoiding heavy meals late in the evening can help your body prepare for sleep. A balanced diet that includes adequate amounts of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and plenty of fruits and vegetables can improve your sleep. Whole grains are recommended over simple carbohydrates and highly processed grains, as they are healthier and may improve sleep. However, consuming too much or too little protein can negatively impact sleep.
In addition to diet and exercise, other factors can help you sleep better during the summer. Keeping your room cool and maintaining a consistent sleep routine are essential. The ideal room temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Closing blinds during the day can help reduce heat buildup, and winding down with relaxing activities, such as reading or taking a warm bath, can help signal to your body that it's time to sleep.
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Limit sunlight exposure in the evening
Light exposure in the evening, particularly during the summer months, can disrupt your body's natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. This is because light suppresses the body's production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a role in signalling to your body that it is time to sleep.
To limit your exposure to sunlight in the evening, you can try closing your blinds or curtains to block out the sun. Even medium-coloured fabric drapes with white plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%. If you want to block out more sunlight, you can invest in insulated cellular shades, which can reduce solar heat that comes through windows by up to 60%.
You can also try to limit your exposure to artificial light in the evening, as this can also disrupt your body's natural rhythms. Try to limit your use of electronics one to two hours before bedtime to reduce your exposure to blue light, which can keep you awake. Instead, opt for dim lighting.
However, it is important to get sunlight in the morning, as this can help regulate your body's sleep-wake cycle by regulating melatonin production. Spending time in the sun in the morning can also promote vitamin D production and boost serotonin levels, which can improve your mood and alertness.
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Stick to a sleep schedule and wind-down routine
The summer months can wreak havoc on your sleep, with higher temperatures and longer daylight hours disrupting your sleep schedule and quality. Sticking to a sleep schedule and wind-down routine is crucial to combat this.
Firstly, aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, adjust to your desired bedtime. It's also beneficial to get up at the same time every day, allowing yourself around seven hours of sleep. This can be challenging, especially if you've been scrolling through your phone or playing video games late into the night. The light from these screens behaves like sunlight, tricking your brain into staying awake, a phenomenon known as "social jet lag".
To combat this, start winding down without screens at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. This means no TV, computers, or phones in bed. Instead, develop good sleep habits that your brain will associate with sleep. This could be reading a book, listening to relaxing music, doing some gentle stretching, or taking a warm bath.
Exercising regularly can also help with your sleep routine. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week. However, avoid intense exercise in the evenings, as this can hinder your body's ability to cool down and prepare for sleep.
Additionally, maintain a healthy diet by eating your meals at consistent times and avoiding heavy meals, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime. Caffeine can give you a false sense of well-being, making you think you're more alert than you are, and it can interfere with your sleep the next night.
By sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and wind-down routine, you can improve your sleep quality during the summer months and ensure you're getting the rest you need.
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Frequently asked questions
Soaring temperatures, longer days, and increased socialising can all contribute to a lack of sleep during the summer months. The extra sunlight we experience in the evenings can delay the body's production of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends setting your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for ideal sleep. However, this may result in a high electric bill. Instead, you could set it to a more reasonable temperature and use fans to keep a cool breeze flowing.
Keeping your room cool and dark will help you sleep. During the day, close blinds or curtains to reduce heat buildup. At night, use a fan or air conditioning to keep the room cool.
Avoid stressful activities, heavy meals, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime. Exercise regularly and eat your meals at consistent times. Wind down before bed by reading a book or doing something relaxing like art or playing an instrument.
Sleeping naked can help your body maintain a cooler core temperature and promote better sleep. If this doesn't appeal to you, choose pyjamas made from natural fibres like cotton, light wool, or silk.
