Miya Pearson
Many factors can contribute to feeling hot while sleeping, and addressing these issues can help improve sleep quality. The ideal room temperature for sleep is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and a hot or humid climate can prevent the body from cooling down. Heavy bedding, warm mattresses, and certain fabrics can also trap heat. Additionally, hormonal changes, medications, and certain foods can raise body temperature. Sharing a bed with others can increase body heat, and individual factors like weight and muscle mass influence temperature regulation. Understanding and managing these factors can help create a cooler and more comfortable sleep environment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ideal sleep temperature | 65°F (18.3°C) give or take a few degrees |
| Best room temperature for sleep | Between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Best room temperature for infants and young children | 66 and 69°F (19–20.5°C) |
| Ways to keep the room cool | Keeping sunlight out of the bedroom, using a fan, drawing curtains, keeping windows open, using AC |
| Ways to keep the body cool | Taking a warm shower, wearing loose and lightweight clothes, using breathable bedding materials, using cooling mattress and pillows |
| Health conditions that can cause feeling hot at night | Hyperthyroidism, treatments for breast and prostate cancer, antidepressant medications |
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What You'll Learn
Keep a cool bedroom
Keeping a cool bedroom is essential for a good night's sleep. Here are some tips to achieve this:
Bedding and Mattress
The type of bedding and mattress you use can significantly impact your sleep quality during hot weather. Avoid insulating fabrics such as fleece and down, which trap body heat. Instead, opt for breathable and lightweight bedding made from natural fibres like cotton or linen. Additionally, consider investing in a cooling mattress and pillow. Thick foam mattresses tend to absorb and trap heat, while other options like ventilated latex or open coil systems promote air circulation, keeping you cooler.
Temperature Control
Keep your bedroom cool by drawing the curtains or blinds during the day to block out sunlight. Blackout curtains are particularly effective at maintaining a cool indoor temperature. If possible, avoid charging electronic devices overnight, as they radiate heat and contribute to a warmer room. Utilise fans to promote airflow, and for a more innovative solution, try placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan to create a cooling mist.
Routines and Habits
Stick to your regular bedtime and pre-sleep routines. Avoid looking at screens before bed, as the blue light can disrupt your sleep. Opt for a yellow light from a bedside lamp, which creates a relaxing ambiance. Taking a lukewarm bath before sleep, as recommended by the NHS, can also help prepare your body for rest.
Additional Tips
If you're open to houseplants, consider adding Ficus Benjamina, Chinese Evergreen, Cacti, Aloe Vera, or Palms to your bedroom. These plants act as natural air conditioners, providing moisture and improving air quality. Additionally, keep windows closed during the day and open them at night if the outdoor temperature is cooler.
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Wear breathable fabrics
When it's hot, it's important to wear breathable fabrics to bed. This is because breathable fabrics allow air to pass through the material, increasing airflow and helping to regulate your body temperature.
Breathable fabrics are also effective at wicking away moisture and drawing it away from your skin, which is especially important for those who suffer from night sweats. In addition to breathability, you should also consider the fabric's ability to draw moisture away from your skin and let it evaporate.
There are several types of breathable fabrics that are suitable for sleeping in hot weather. Linen is a popular choice, as it is lightweight and breathable, and it picks up cool air. Linen also traps less heat than cotton. Linen sheets are durable and get softer over time. Tencel lyocell is another option, which is lightweight and breathable, and wicks moisture better than cotton. Bamboo is also a good choice, as it is extremely breathable, soft, lightweight, and moisture-wicking. If you want to wear bamboo fabric for its moisture and heat-managing properties, look for bamboo linen or bamboo Tencel (lyocell).
Cotton is another breathable fabric that is often recommended for hot sleepers. Cotton sheets tend to be more cooling than sateen because of their weave. Cotton percale, in particular, is a tight one-over, one-under weave, making it cooler and more lightweight than sateen. However, one person who tried sleeping in polyester and cotton nightgowns found that both fabrics left them soaked in sweat in the morning. This suggests that breathability alone may not be enough to keep you cool and that other factors, such as fabric density and blend type, may also play a role. For example, if you have severe night sweats, you may want to opt for a light to medium weight sleepwear, as thicker and denser fabrics can trap too much heat.
In addition to natural fabrics, there are also treated cotton-polyester fabric blends that are designed for moisture-wicking and heat management. These fabrics are often treated with a coating or infusion into the fiber so that they respond to your heat and moisture.
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Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol are two of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances in the world. They can have a significant impact on sleep quality. Caffeine is a stimulant that promotes wakefulness by blocking adenosine, a sleep-inducing chemical. It is naturally found in many plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao pods, and kola nuts, as well as in synthetic form in medications and energy drinks. While it is a popular tool to enhance alertness during the day, it can disrupt the natural sleep-wake cycle if consumed close to bedtime.
To optimize sleep, it is generally recommended to avoid caffeine in the hours leading up to bedtime. Sensitivity to caffeine varies among individuals and depends on consumption frequency. As a guideline, it is suggested to stop consuming caffeinated products at least eight hours before bedtime. However, some experts recommend a more conservative approach of eliminating caffeine 10 hours or more before sleep. For those who struggle with insomnia or experience negative side effects such as jitteriness, headaches, or nervousness, reducing daily caffeine intake or extending the period of caffeine abstinence before bed may be beneficial.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is a sedative that can make one feel sleepy and aid in falling asleep initially. However, it disrupts the normal sleep architecture or the body's natural sleep cycles, resulting in fragmented sleep. Alcohol consumption is associated with more frequent awakenings, night sweats, nightmares, and increased trips to the bathroom due to its diuretic effect. It also interferes with the body clock, which coordinates the body's circadian rhythms. To avoid these negative impacts on sleep, it is recommended to avoid alcohol for at least three to four hours before bedtime.
It is important to note that individual factors, such as metabolism and sensitivity, may require some people to stop consuming alcohol earlier than the recommended timeframe. Additionally, while caffeine and alcohol can impact sleep, moderation and timing are key. By understanding how these substances affect sleep and making adjustments to consumption patterns, individuals can improve their sleep quality and overall well-being.
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Take a lukewarm shower
Taking a shower before bed can help signal to your brain that it is time to sleep. It can also help you relax your body and mind, which can lead to better sleep.
While some people prefer hot showers, and others prefer cold, a lukewarm shower can be a good middle ground, providing some benefits of both hot and cold showers without excessive stimulation or temperature extremes. Lukewarm showers are also a good option for those who find cold showers uncomfortable or are at risk of hypothermia.
If you are an athlete, a cold shower may be beneficial as it can help reduce muscle stiffness, which may improve sleep by reducing discomfort. However, for most people, a lukewarm or warm shower is a better option. Warm showers can aid the natural temperature regulation process, as the body's core temperature naturally cools in the evening and during sleep, while skin temperatures of the hands and feet increase. This phenomenon is known as the "warm bath effect."
To optimise your bedroom for a comfortable sleep, it is important to keep your bedroom cool and ensure you have breathable bedding. Drawing the curtains during the day can help keep the room cool, and blackout curtains are particularly effective at blocking out heat. Additionally, natural fibres like cotton or linen offer better breathability than synthetic fabrics.
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Maintain a bedtime routine
Maintaining a bedtime routine is crucial for optimizing your sleep quality, especially in hot weather. Here are some tips to maintain a bedtime routine to sleep better in hot conditions:
Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Decide on a bedtime and wake-up time that suits your daily routine, and stick to it consistently, even on weekends. This helps train your brain to naturally feel tired at bedtime and promotes a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Establish a Bedtime Routine Timeline
Schedule a specific time for your bedtime routine to begin each night, typically 30 minutes to 2 hours before your desired bedtime. This gives your brain a signal that it's time to start winding down and transitioning towards sleep.
Avoid Napping During the Day
While hot weather may make you feel lethargic, avoid taking naps during the day. Preserve your sleepiness for bedtime, as napping can disrupt your nighttime sleep.
Keep Your Bedroom Cool
Ensure your bedroom is as cool as possible. Draw the curtains during the day to block out sunlight, and consider using blackout curtains for added effectiveness. Set your thermostat to a cooler temperature, ideally around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which is recommended for optimal sleep.
Choose Breathable Bedding
Select bedding made from natural fibers like cotton or linen, which offer better breathability than synthetic fabrics. Avoid insulating materials like fleece or down, which trap body heat, especially during the summer.
Optimize Your Mattress and Pillow
Invest in a mattress that sleeps cool, such as those with ventilated latex or open coil systems that circulate air. Similarly, choose cooling pillows made from materials like latex, ventilated foam, or wool, which provide better temperature control.
Minimize Screen Time
Electronic devices emit strong blue light, tricking your brain into thinking it's daytime and suppressing melatonin production. Put away electronics at the start of your bedtime routine, and avoid them at least one to two hours before bedtime. Opt for printed books or magazines instead of electronic devices for reading.
Engage in Relaxing Activities
Meditation, reading a simple and unexciting book, or journaling can help calm your mind and prepare your body for sleep. These activities reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and aid in insomnia.
Remember, it's important to tailor your bedtime routine to your specific needs and sleep environment. You can gradually introduce these changes to make them a part of your regular habits.
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Frequently asked questions
The body's natural thermoregulation process is disrupted by high temperatures, making it harder to fall asleep and get enough deep, refreshing sleep.
The ideal temperature for sleeping is between 65°F and 69°F (18.3°C to 20.5°C).
Some tips to sleep better in hot weather include:
- Using a fan or air conditioning to cool the room.
- Wearing loose, lightweight, and breathable clothing.
- Using cooler bedding materials such as cotton or linen.
- Reducing the use of thick blankets.
- Investing in a cooling mattress or pillow.
- Keeping a consistent bedtime and maintaining a good bedtime routine.
Sleeping in hot weather can have negative effects on overall health and well-being. It can impact the immune system, cardiovascular system, cognitive performance, and mood. Dehydration and exhaustion are also potential risks.
