As some parts of the country experience more frequent heat waves and extreme temperatures, people may not be fully equipped to handle the heat when it arrives. Even with the fan blasting on full speed and your windows open wide, some nights, there’s simply no way to escape the heat.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, it’s more difficult to sleep when it’s hotter outside. If you do fall asleep, it’s less common to have uninterrupted sleep or to have dreams, and more common to wake up feeling fatigued.
Restless or inadequate sleep can take a physical and mental toll, and may lead to:
- poor performance in work or school
- increased risk of developing chronic disease
- difficulty achieving or maintaining a healthy weight, and
- irrational mood swings.
Getting good sleep should always be a priority, that’s why we’ve put together a list of actions you can take to help beat the heat in the hottest months (even without air conditioning).
Tips To Help You Sleep In The Heat
Drink Water
Water helps your body regulate temperature. Drink lots of water in high heat, avoid being outdoors in the sun for long periods of time, and wear sunscreen or sun protective clothing.
Focus on hydrating yourself during the day, and taper off your water intake at night. This will help you maintain a healthy body temperature and stay hydrated without needing to take midnight bathroom breaks.
Get On A Sleep Schedule
Getting up and going to bed at different times every day can confuse your body. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Teach your body to relax at night and wake up in the morning by putting yourself on a sleep schedule.
Avoid naps in the afternoon and hitting the snooze button one too many times. Schedule time before bed to engage in a relaxing activity such as reading, listening to music, or stretching. This will help your body and mind relax and unwind before bed.
If you have children who are on summer vacation, help them stay consistent, and gradually ease them back into their school year sleep schedule before school starts.
Take A Shower
Taking a bath or shower right before bedtime can help you relax your muscles and mind. The drop in body temperature after you get out of a hot shower can help your body attain its ideal temperature zone for a good night’s sleep.
Modify Your Environment
- Remove electronics. Limit screen time in the evening, and remove electronics from your room. The light from screens can make it harder for you to relax and go to sleep. Consider investing in a bedside alarm clock and keep all other electronics out of reach.
- Eliminate noise. Do your best to soundproof your bedroom. If you live on a busy street or in a noisy home, consider downloading a white noise app or buying a white noise machine to help drown out the background noise.
- Invest in your sleep. If you find yourself adjusting and readjusting during the night or feeling generally uncomfortable in your bed, consider investing in a more comfortable pillow, sheet, blanket, mattress or mattress topper. Light, cotton materials can promote ventilation and wick moisture as you sleep, and advanced sleep technology has led to products made with cooling materials. If it’s still light out when you go to bed, or if ambient light interrupts your sleep, invest in blackout curtains to keep your room dark.
- Keep it cool. Close your windows and blinds during the sunny parts of the day. Windows magnify sunrays that heat up the air in your home. Through the night or on cool days, keep your windows open to let in cool air. To prevent electric heat from making your environment warmer, avoid using the oven or stove, and turn off unneeded lights during the day.
Use Your Freezer
Put your socks and pillowcases in a plastic bag and put that bag in the freezer for a few minutes to cool them off. Although the chill won’t last the whole night, it may be enough to give you the jump-start you need to fall asleep.
If you want a quick go-to middle-of-the-night trick, leave a bowl of ice water by your bed, and dip your fingers and toes in it for quick relief in the middle of the night.
You can also turn a hot water bottle into a cold water bottle by putting it in the freezer before bed. The freezer has endless possibilities, so get creative and find out what works for you.
Consume Responsibly
With neighborhood BBQs, summertime parties, and summer vacations, it’s easy to find yourself indulging in food, alcohol, and more late at night.
Consuming caffeine and nicotine in the late night hours can make it harder to fall asleep. Drinking alcoholic beverages makes it harder for your body to achieve REM sleep, and going to bed with a full stomach can lead to heartburn or indigestion.
Exercise Earlier In The Day
Exercise benefits the body in a number of ways and has been closely linked to longer and better quality of sleep at night. Exercise reduces stress and fatigues the body, preparing it for sleep.
For some individuals, exercising late at night can overstimulate the body and disrupt sleep patterns; so many people choose to exercise first thing in the morning or several hours before bedtime to give their body time to cool off before bed.
Talk To Your Healthcare Provider
If you’re having difficulty falling or staying asleep, or often feel fatigued during the day, talk to your primary care provider. Sleep greatly affects your mental and physical health, so it’s important to stop trying to just power through, and instead advocate for yourself.
Make an appointment with a WWMG primary care provider, or get a referral to one of our board-certified Sleep Medicine doctors to take the first steps toward a better night’s sleep.