Summer is eagerly anticipated by many. Swimming at the lake, long relaxed evenings with friends and vacations. However, in high summer it often does not cool down properly at night, which makes nights restless. Many people find it difficult to sleep in the heat. In this article we provide tips on how to make the hot nights a little more bearable. The reason for poor nights is the extreme temperatures that keep the body tense.
The best tips for sleeping well in the heat
Hang damp cloths in the window
If you cannot sleep at night because it is too hot, you can hang damp cloths in the open window. Simple towels, dish towels or bed sheets are sufficient, but they should be made of cotton. If you hang these in the window, the room is cooled by evaporation. The indoor climate is also improved because the cloths release moisture into the air. The same effect occurs if you slightly dampen the bedsheet before going to sleep. The night is also more tolerable if your sleepwear is made of cotton. It allows air to pass better than synthetic nightwear. Cotton also has the advantage of absorbing sweat more effectively.
Avoid very cold showers and stay sufficiently hydrated
When it is hot, it is of course important to drink plenty of fluids. Many believe that cold drinks are particularly good for the body in high summer. That is incorrect. In fact, it is better to drink lukewarm beverages. Cold drinks stimulate the body to generate heat and to compensate for the temperature differences between the warm body and the cold drink. You should mainly rely on water and unsweetened tea or light juice spritzers. Sugary drinks and alcohol are not suitable for quenching thirst. Those are beverages for enjoyment. Showering with very cold water is also not good. It is better if you let lukewarm water flow over your body. Lukewarm water opens your pores and blood vessels. The body can thus release excess heat more effectively. Cold showers stimulate circulation and cause the body to produce even more heat to compensate for the differences. The result is that you achieve the opposite and end up sweating much more because of the cold shower. You do not have to use hot water, but if you shower lukewarm before going to bed, it will be easier for you to sleep in the heat.
Cool down before going to sleep
An old trick is to slightly dampen the duvet or the bedsheet before going to bed and put it in a chest freezer. The duvet should stay in the deep freezer for no more than ten minutes. Shortly before you go to bed, take the textiles out again. Of course the duvet will not stay cool forever, but it helps with falling asleep. A secret tip are chilled socks. You can also put them in the freezer and then put them on. However, experts advise against freezing underwear or nightwear. The bladder may be too sensitive and could become inflamed from the temperature shock. What applies to your clothes also applies to the duvet: avoid synthetic fibres as far as possible. Synthetics have difficulty absorbing liquids such as sweat.
Body cools down: Do not sleep naked
Even if it does not look like it at over 30 degrees: your body cools down while you sleep. For that reason it is advised not to spend the night completely unclothed. It is better to acquire lightweight cotton sleepwear. Cotton absorbs sweat well and is still breathable. Pajamas and nightgowns made of polyester and other synthetic fabrics should be avoided.
No physical exertion
Immediately before sleeping the body should not be subjected to heavy strain in order to sleep well in hot conditions. Therefore you should prefer to do sports in the morning, before temperatures rise. The last two hours before going to bed are not a good time for a workout. During this time you should also not perform other physically demanding tasks. If you want to exercise, it is better to do so after getting up in the early morning hours. Temperatures already rise noticeably again from 10 a.m.
Fans and drafts
In summer many people appreciate a fan that quietly provides fresh air at night. That is a good idea if it is not set to the highest speed. Otherwise drafts can develop in the bedroom, which in turn cause your body to cool down and you to catch a cold. It is best to cool sleeping rooms already in the morning. In the early morning hours it is somewhat cooler and therefore this is the best time to ventilate the sleeping rooms. That only helps moderately, of course, but if you then close roller shutters and curtains, the apartment will remain more comfortable than if the sun shines directly in and the glass panes heat up. Those who do not have roller shutters can fit blinds to the windows. There are now numerous roller blinds suitable even for awkward roof windows. Sometimes it can also be better to open the windows, for example in narrow attic apartments. Even if the air does not cool down, the humidity remains more tolerable with the windows open. This also applies to apartments that cannot be ventilated properly because they, for example, are shaped like a corridor or cannot be darkened. For the majority of houses and apartments, however, it is better to darken the rooms and close the windows.
Other factors that are important for sleeping well in heat
Keep the indoor climate comfortable
Depending on where you live, it is easier to keep the indoor climate comfortable. If you have a basement apartment, you know that temperatures there are generally more pleasant in summer. Falling asleep on the ground floor is certainly easier than in a top-floor apartment. In general, windows that receive direct sunlight should be darkened and kept closed. That does not create any airflow, but it largely keeps the heat out. If you left the window open, the warmth could continue to enter the room. If no airflow occurs at all, a fan can help and make the indoor climate more comfortable. Otherwise the best strategy is to keep everything closed and ventilate only occasionally, i.e. in the morning and in the late evening hours.
Eating can also affect your sleep
You should avoid heavy meals before falling asleep. This applies in winter and summer. To be able to sleep better in the heat, it is even more important to pay attention to healthy nutrition. Before you go to bed, do not eat sweets and do not drink alcohol. Your circulation and metabolism are already stimulated by the summer heat and should not be further burdened. On hot summer days you should have mainly light dishes with fruit and vegetables for dinner and refrain from carbohydrates. If you eat meat, poultry is a better choice because its many amino acids promote sleep. Combined with a light salad, your stomach will not be strained. It is important not to eat too much. If you eat too much, digestion has to work hard. That places additional strain on your body. In addition, you should preferably eat dinner early and not immediately before you go to bed.
Sleeping on the floor
The lower you sleep, the cooler it is. This refers both to the room and the bed. Very high beds are warmer than low beds that sit close to the floor. So if you sleep on a mattress on the floor, it is cooler than if you sleep in the top bunk of a bunk bed. If you have the option, it also makes sense to move from the top floor to the ground floor to sleep there during hot weather.