There’s no two ways about it: sleeping during a heatwave can be miserable. Sometimes it feels like years of tossing and turning before you actually drift off, not to mention when you wake up in a pool of sweat in the middle of the night.
This summer has already been a scorcher and the warm weather is set to continue, so if you’ve been struggling with sleep, it’s time to reevaluate your routine. Luckily, there are lots of nifty hacks you can try for the chance of a cool, undisturbed night.
13 tips for sleeping in a heatwave
Think of this as a checklist you can follow throughout the day, and leading up to bedtime…
1. Do some exercise
It’s no secret that exercise helps you sleep – and in a heatwave, you need all the help you can get. It’s wise to get your aerobic efforts done in the morning – if you decide to do a HIIT class later at night, it will take a long time to cool down, and you don’t want to go to bed hot and bothered.
2. Keep your curtains shut
After a hot night’s sleep, it’s tempting to fling open your curtains to greet the day. However, if you’re due for another scorcher, keep them shut while the sun beats down, to help prevent your room from heating up too much throughout the day.
3. Ditch the duvet
Needless to say, cocooning yourself in a thick duvet is not going to be helpful, so switch to a lighter tog or ditch it altogether in favour of a cover sheet.
4. Put your pillowcase in the freezer
An hour or so before bedtime, fold up your pillowcase and pop it in the freezer. When it’s time to go to sleep, put it back on your pillow, and you’ll be lying on something delightfully cool. You can do the same with your bedsheets, depending on how big your freezer is…
5. Think about cotton
Cotton is breathable and will soak up sweat, so if you’ve not changed your bedsheets or bought some light cotton pyjamas, now is the time.
6. Keep it dark
Light levels help us regulate our sleeping patterns and so it’s important that your sleeping environment is dark. A good quality lined curtain or blackout blind can help better control morning light into the bedroom and, needless to say, avoiding screens is also critical before bedtime.
7. Have a cold shower before bed
A dip in an ice cold plunge pool, or a quick swim before putting your pyjamas on, would be the dream, but a cold shower is probably your most available option. It’ll help you cool down, feel refreshed, and put the sweaty day behind you before drifting off.
8. Take a cold water bottle to bed
You might have packed up your hot water bottle for summer, but you can actually turn it into a ready-made ice block as well. Fill it with water and freeze before bed, and it will be the best thing to snuggle at night.
9. Switch on your fan
If you don’t already have a fan, now might be the time to invest. However, sometimes it can just feel like it’s pushing hot air around. To make your fan work harder, place a bowl of ice water in front of it and you’ve basically created your own air conditioning setup.
10. Stay hydrated
Few things are more unpleasant than waking up in the middle of the night feeling sweaty and dehydrated. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water during the day – but cool off on the H2O closer to bedtime, so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night needing the bathroom.
It’s also wise to avoid too much caffeine or alcohol before bed, as they can also contribute to dehydration.
11. Eat early and light
With the sun setting as late as 10pm in the UK at the height of the summer, it can be tempting to stay up and eat later. However, as our bodies generate heat as they digest food and it can feel uncomfortable to sleep on a full stomach. Try switching to lighter meals in the evenings which need less energy to digest, such as opting for salad niçoise, rather than carb-heavy carbonara.
12. Switch off your phone
This is another tip which helps with sleep generally, so shouldn’t be forgotten during a heatwave. The Sleep Council’s advice is to “reduce electronic use before bedtime and avoid electronic use in the bedroom” as the blue light can keep you up. If you’ve really been struggling to drift off during the heatwave, it’s time to go back to basics with sleep hygiene and switch off your phone before bed.
13. Have a sleep divorce
If you normally share a bed with your partner, a heatwave might make you reconsider your sleeping arrangements. If you have the space – maybe a spare bedroom or a comfortable sofa – you could benefit from a sleep divorce, which basically means sleeping in different rooms. Then you only have to deal with your own body heat warming up the bed, and not the warmth of two people.
Any other tips for getting a good night’s sleep in the heat?
If you’re worried that your insomnia isn’t improving, then speak to your local pharmacist. They are highly trained healthcare professionals who can offer expert advice and will be able to recommended a short-term sleep aid to help you get a good night’s sleep and break the sleepless cycle.
Sleep aids can be obtained over the counter, although you should always speak to a pharmacist before taking any medication, as it may not be suitable if you’re breastfeeding, pregnant or on certain medications.
Read more: 5 natural sleep remedies
