The summer heat is often welcomed with open arms, but we often forget how difficult it can be to get a good night's sleep when nighttime temperatures rise.
Nights can become even more uncomfortable during a heat wave, when temperatures reach or exceed the heat wave temperature threshold for at least three consecutive days, and are common in the summer.
Many may find these nights difficult, especially without a fan or air conditioning.
According to Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep expert at Silentnight, the optimal bedroom temperature for sleeping is between 16°C (60°F) and 21°C (69.8°F), and your brain should be a little warmer. colder than the rest of his body.
“Getting a good night's sleep is important for processing information throughout the day, as well as repairing and rebalancing the body physically and mentally,” Ramlakhan said. The independent.
“Ideally, for us to sleep well, there needs to be a fractional temperature difference between our body and our brain: a warm body and a cool head!”
So what can you do to cool down and get some sleep?
Here are 20 ways to help you fall asleep in hot weather
1. Place the bedding in the freezer for a couple of minutes (though put it in a plastic bag first). If you don't have much space in your refrigerator or freezer, even a pillowcase or pajamas will help.
2. Fill a hot water bottle with ice water and place it on the 'cooling points' of your body: knees, ankles, wrists, neck, groin and elbows. You can also fill a hot water bottle with cold water, freeze it, and take it to bed.
3. Hydrate before bed with an aloe vera-based after-sun cream, ideally kept in the refrigerator.
4. Fill an empty perfume bottle with cold water and keep it next to your bed, spray it on your face, the back of your neck and the backs of your knees to cool down.
5. Use cotton pajamas and thin, pure cotton sheets for your bed; High quality cotton is the ideal bedding material for sleeping and staying cool as it is more breathable.
6. Make sure you don't eat too much protein, as this can warm up your body by increasing your metabolic rate, according to sleep expert Dave Gibson.
7. Eat spicy foods, but at least three hours before bedtime; can cause you to sweat, which cools the body.
8. Exercise in the morning instead of at night to prevent your body from getting too hot.
9. Keep your nighttime shower warm to reduce body temperature. However, don't drink an ice cold one, as your body will react to the sudden change in temperature by preserving heat.
10. Contrary to popular belief, Gibson says we should keep the windows closed during the day to keep the house cooler. Keep the curtains closed too.
eleven. Turn off all electrical appliances in the bedroom as they emit heat. Also turn off the plugs.
12. Keep your feet cool, either by keeping them off blankets or resting them on an ice pack.
13. Place a baking dish filled with ice in front of a fan to cool the air.
14. Drink water regularly during the day, but not too much at night. About ½ liter before bed will be enough to keep you hydrated and prevent you from having to get up and go to the bathroom.
fifteen. Sleep in a separate bed from your partner: two bodies = double the body heat.
sixteen. Sleep downstairs if you can while the heat rises.
17. Sleep in cool, wet socks or even a damp t-shirt.
18. Rinse your wrists and feet with cold water before going to bed.
19. If you wake up in the night, rub a menthol stick on your forehead to help cool you down, recommends Dr. Ramlakhan.
twenty. Place a damp flannel in the refrigerator for about an hour before going to bed and place it on your forehead as you fall asleep.
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