Sleeping on Hot Nights - The Help You Need

With the UK set for another hot summer, sleeping on hot nights makes getting good rest harder, having a knock-on effect to your daily schedule.

Have you ever noticed yourself becoming increasingly irritable and unable to concentrate in the hotter months? It might not be your fault.

Hot air, smog and pollution all have a negative effect on us, and make city-dwellers particularly susceptible to stress.

As one of our favourite fictional heroines once said:

‘What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance’ (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte).

We can certainly sympathise!

When you just can’t seem to fall asleep at night and you wake up in the morning feeling weak and without energy, you’re not just run-down physically – sooner or later, there will also be mental and cognitive consequences.

The team at Dormeo UK have prepared a few tips on how to fall asleep quicker, achieve deep sleep, and be able take care of your physical and mental well-being even in the hot summer months.

The mattress

When sleeping on hot nights, it is important that your mattress is able to breathe with you, and absorb and wick away excess sweat to keep you cool.

Traditional memory foam mattresses are known to come with real heat problems as there’s nowhere for your body heat to escape to and no ventilation.

If you are a naturally hot sleeper you probably find the summer even more uncomfortable than the rest of us as your sleeping body temperature is higher than normal.

The Octaspring’s open structured memory foam springs have been proven to make the mattress 8X more breathable than its competitors.

These are our premium mattresses, but if you are looking for something a little more budget-friendly, it’s also worth looking at the Dormeo Memory Fresh which uses breathable Ecocell foam to allow air to circulate and prevent heat retention.

Choose good quality bedding materials

In order to cope with the heat during the summer season, it is advisable to opt for lightweight and breathable materials like cotton infused with bamboo or soy. These materials have high absorbency and provide a cool and airy feel to the mattress.

These fabrics don’t actually prevent sweating but they do encourage quick drying which is incredibly important in preventing frequent night time waking.

Stay hydrated and fed

The types of food and drink that you put into your body before bed can also have an impact on how you sleep when it's warm.

You must stay hydrated! The higher temperatures will cause you to lose water and electrolytes through sweat, and dehydration can cause headaches, illness, and a loss of sleep.

However, be sure that you don't go ahead and drink beverages containing a lot of caffeine, alcohol, or sugar, as these will just work against getting to sleep.

Avoid going to bed thirsty because the science actually suggests that dehydration will disturb your sleep much more than the need for a bathroom break.

Maybe try some of these teas to help you drift off more naturally.

Hydrating from the outside also has its benefits. A lukewarm shower before bed is a good idea, but don’t make it too cool as this will actually close your pores and discourage sweating which is the body’s natural way of regulating body temperature.

When it comes to eating, try to avoid foods that are high in protein in the run up to bedtime, as these can actually boost your metabolic rate and cause your body to heat up.

Then there's the old tip about spicy food that can come in handy: eat it at least three hours before bed and it can make you sweat more, which should cool your body down in time for sleep.

Try something a little more icy

Along with the more conventional tips, there are some methods for staying cool that are a bit more basic, but effective nonetheless.

One of our favourites is creating a simple, homemade ice pack by filling a hot water bottle with water and putting it in the freezer. Then, you can place it under your covers or pillow to get a temporary cool spot in your bed.

It may not last all night, but it'll probably be enough to help you get to sleep.

You can also apply ice packs or cold compresses to pulse points like your wrist, neck, elbows, and knees to get a quick and effective cooldown.

Some people even go so far as putting their sheets and pillow in a bag then placing it in the freezer for a temporarily cold bed.

You could always freeze your pyjamas.

Did you just say “put your pyjamas in the freezer?”

Before you go to bed, place your pyjamas in the freezer for a few minutes. When you put them on, they will feel cool and refreshing, helping you fall asleep much faster.

Get that air moving!

You will want to make sure that you keep your home as cool as possible, knowing how to use your home's windows the right can make all the difference.

When the sun's out and it's hot all day, you might be tempted to open your blinds or curtains and let what little breeze there is filter through each room.

But, if the temperature outside is warmer than it is inside, all you're doing is allowing the warm air to heat up your home. So keep your windows closed and your curtains or blinds shut to prevent the room from heating up.

Should it be cooler outside than it is inside, feel free to get those windows open, but be sure to keep your blinds or curtains closed.

If your home is too warm on a regular basis and you have curtains, it may be worth switching to blinds as they offer the same sun blocking ability, but with much more effective ventilation for keeping the interior cool.

This might seem overly cool, but the ideal temperature for sleep is between 16 and 18 °C.

If you have time, make sure you can air the bedroom as soon as you wake up in the morning, as that’s when the air is at its coolest.

It’s also a good idea to monitor the humidity in the room – ideally, this should be around 50%.

If you've got access to a fan, it's possible to creating a more cooling airflow than if you were to just point it at your bed. Position it across from an open window and the wind blowing in from outside and the air moved by the fan will create a cross-breeze, circulating the cool air around your room.

You can also create a cold airflow by placing some ice cubes in a bowl in front of a fan (but far enough away to avoid it being near any electricals). As the ice melts, the fan should disperse a cool breeze around the room.

If you are lucky enough to own one, an air conditioning unit is a great (but expensive) way to maintain your bedroom temperature.