Miya Pearson
Sleep is essential for a healthy body, and on average, adults should be getting between seven to nine hours of sleep every night. However, this can be challenging during hot weather. External temperatures can interfere with the natural thermoregulation that occurs during sleep, increasing your body temperature and disturbing your sleep. Here are some tips to help you sleep better in hot weather:
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Keep your bedtime routine | Try to keep to your usual bedtime and routines. |
| Avoid napping during the day | Save your sleepiness for bedtime. |
| Keep the room cool | Draw the curtains or shades in the morning and do not open them until you go to bed. |
| Mattress and pillow | Invest in mattresses and pillows that circulate air throughout the interior, such as ventilated latex and open coil systems. |
| Bedding | Sheets and pillowcases made from natural fibers like cotton or linen offer better breathability. |
| Clothing | Sleep in loose, cotton clothing to avoid trapping heat next to the skin. |
| Keep feet cool | Keep your feet outside of the covers to stay cool. |
| Stay hydrated | Drink plenty of water during the day but not too close to bedtime. |
| Avoid alcohol and caffeine | Alcohol and caffeine can interfere with your body's natural temperature regulation. |
| Avoid heavy meals | Eating heavy meals can raise your body temperature. |
| Exercise | Opt for more restorative forms of movement like yoga, pilates or walking as opposed to more strenuous activity. |
| Shower | Take a lukewarm or cool shower or foot bath to reduce heat stress. |
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What You'll Learn
Keep your room cool
Keeping your room cool is essential for a good night's sleep in hot weather. Here are some tips to achieve that:
Keep your curtains or blinds closed during the day. Blocking out the sunlight will help prevent your bedroom from heating up. Open the windows at night to let the breeze in, but keep them closed during the day if the outside temperature is higher.
Use fans to your advantage. Strategically placing fans around your room can help circulate the air and create a cooling effect. You can also try the well-known trick of placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan, which will create a refreshing, cool breeze.
Choose the right bedding. Opt for natural fibres like cotton or linen for your sheets and pillowcases, as they offer better breathability than synthetic fabrics. Consider investing in a cooling pillow or mattress, or go for a gel mattress topper that helps dissipate heat.
Adjust your duvet and clothing. Switch to a thinner, lighter duvet with a lower tog rating for the summer months. Sleep in lightweight, loose-fitting clothing made from natural fabrics like cotton, or consider sleeping in your underwear or naked if comfortable.
Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water during the day will help your body regulate its temperature. However, avoid drinking too much right before bed to prevent midnight bathroom breaks that can disrupt your sleep.
Keep electronics to a minimum. Electronic devices can emit heat, so try to minimise their use before bed and unplug any devices you're not using.
With these tips, you can create a cooler sleeping environment and improve your comfort during hot weather.
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Choose breathable bedding
When it comes to bedding, natural fibres are the way to go. Sheets and pillowcases made from cotton or linen offer better breathability than those made from synthetic materials like polyester. Bamboo sheets are another option that some people prefer. If you're using a duvet, opt for one with a lower tog rating—between 2 and 4.5—and natural fillings like silk or cotton.
It's not just your sheets that make a difference. Your mattress and pillows can also play a role in keeping you cool. Thick foam mattresses tend to absorb and trap body heat, so look for one with ventilated latex or an open-coil system that circulates air. Similarly, some pillows can be heat traps, so choose breathable options like latex, ventilated foam, or wool.
If you're feeling particularly warm, you can also try placing a thin, absorbent towel between you and your sheets or using a gel mattress topper to help dissipate heat.
Remember, the goal is to create a comfortable and cool sleeping environment, so you might need to experiment with different combinations of bedding, mattresses, and pillows to find what works best for you.
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Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is crucial to sleeping better in hot weather. Warmer weather makes us sweat more, which can lead to dehydration, a major disruptor of sleep. It is important to drink more water than usual throughout the day to compensate for the loss of fluids through urination, sweating, and breathing. However, avoid drinking excessive fluids before bed to prevent midnight trips to the bathroom, which can interrupt your sleep.
Drinking alcohol and caffeine can also make it harder to fall asleep. Alcohol dehydrates the body and leads to night sweats, while both alcohol and caffeine interfere with the body's natural temperature regulation. It is best to avoid these fluids close to bedtime. Set a curfew for midday for coffee and at least three hours before bed for alcohol.
To stay hydrated, you can also take a lukewarm or cool shower or foot bath before bed. This will help reduce heat stress and prepare your body for sleep. As your body temperature lowers after a shower or bath, it primes your body to cool down when you lay down and warm up when you get up.
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Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Alcohol and caffeine are stimulants that can dehydrate you. Dehydration interferes with your sleep quality, so it is best to avoid these beverages for at least a few hours before bedtime.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world and is commonly found in beverages and food, including tea, coffee, chocolate, cola, and energy drinks. Caffeine affects sleep in multiple ways: it can make it harder to fall asleep, and it can affect your sleep architecture by reducing the quality of sleep. Even if you can fall asleep after consuming caffeine, it could still be impacting your sleep stages without you realizing it. The effects of caffeine can linger for hours after you feel that initial jolt, and studies have found that caffeine can affect your sleep even when consumed 6 hours prior to sleep. It is generally recommended that you avoid caffeine for at least 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Alcohol is also a diuretic, which can cause dehydration and poor sleep quality. While alcohol might help you fall asleep, it promotes early morning waking and a poorer quality of sleep overall. Particularly, in the second half of the night, sleep after drinking alcohol is associated with more frequent awakenings, night sweats, nightmares, and more frequent awakenings to use the bathroom. Alcohol also interferes with the body clock, which coordinates the body's circadian rhythms. It is best to avoid alcohol for at least 3-4 hours before bedtime.
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Exercise earlier in the day
Exercise can cause your core body temperature to increase, which may affect your sleep, especially if done within 90 minutes of bedtime. Therefore, it is recommended to exercise earlier in the day or in the morning. If the evening is the only time you can exercise, opt for less strenuous activities such as yoga, pilates, or walking.
Exercising earlier in the day will help you feel sleepier by bedtime, allowing you to fall asleep more easily. However, it is important to stay hydrated throughout the day, especially after exercising, as dehydration can disrupt sleep. Drinking enough water will help replace fluids lost through urination, sweating, and breathing.
If you are exercising in hot weather, be mindful of the symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as feeling faint, weak, or experiencing muscle cramps. If your body temperature reaches 40°C or higher, you may experience heatstroke, which can include symptoms such as loss of consciousness, dry skin, and the cessation of sweating.
To cool down after exercising in hot weather, consider taking a lukewarm shower or bath. While cold showers can provide instant relief, lukewarm water is more effective at cooling you down in the long run. Additionally, avoid excessive fluids before bed to prevent midnight trips to the bathroom, which can disrupt your sleep.
By exercising earlier in the day and following these hydration and cooling tips, you can improve your sleep quality during hot weather.
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Frequently asked questions
Keep your bedroom as cool as possible by drawing the curtains during the day, keeping windows closed until the temperature drops, and using fans.
Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan, or use a gel mattress topper or cooling gel pad.
Take a lukewarm shower or bath before bed, avoid caffeine and alcohol, and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Avoid napping during the day, and try to stick to your usual bedtime and routines.
