Sleep well despite the heat

Sleeping not sweating

heading “Sleep”Aren’t the mild summer evenings lovely?
Everything is wonderful, provided that the overnight temperatures drop below 20 degrees Celsius. Conversely, tropical nights with temperatures higher than 20 degrees Celsius rob many people of their sleep.

Who has not struggled to get to sleep on a summer night, when the air was still and hot? You lie there, uncovered, in the middle of the bed, your skin damp with sweat, your arms and legs stretched wide. Your breathing is shallow, your eyes are open wide, your nerves are on edge. You toss and turn in your sheets, get up, walk around your home, lie down again – and the whole pattern recommences, for hour after hour, until your alarm goes off.
If you spend the night like this, you will wake up in the morning exhausted. Your mood hits the floor, you are irritable and don’t feel right, even after your third coffee. And no wonder, because a refreshing sleep is the most important source of energy in life and is crucial for our physical and mental health.

So you can continue enjoying summer to the full, and aren’t tormented by sleepless nights, we have some tips to help you slumber peacefully, even when the temperatures go up.

Sleep tip 1: proper ventilation

Open your windows in summer, ideally first thing in the morning, when the air is still cool. Close them during the day and, if possible, keep the sun out by closing your curtains or your shutters. Open the windows again in the evening, when the heat has subsided a little. People often like to sleep with the window open in summer, but make sure that you aren’t lying in a draught.

Sleep tip 2: a lukewarm shower

It’s hot, you’re sweating, and you want nothing more than to cool down. Taking a cold shower always seems very attractive, and will help you to reduce your temperature, but won’t last long, because cold showers actually have the opposite effect on your body. The body responds to the shock of cold water by activating the circulation, so it can return to operating temperature. The result is more heat than before. That’s why you should go to bed lukewarm in the evening, without a cold shower.

Sleep tip 3: don’t drink very cold water

Drinking lots is particularly important on hot summer days. Ice-cold drinks are especially tempting, but they trigger the same physical reaction as a cold shower. That’s why it’s better to drink water at room temperature.

Sleep tip 4: a light evening meal

Your diet has a significant influence on your sleep quality – especially in summer. Heavy, fatty foods mean longer and heavier work for the digestion than protein-rich foods that, in addition, contain sleep-promoting substances.

Sleep tip 5: sleep in light clothing, not naked

Tropical nights tempt you to sleep naked. However, it’s better not to do this, as it’s easier to catch a cold with damp skin. What’s more, the body isn’t so good at regulating temperature during deep sleep, which may facilitate catching cold. Particularly during hot summer nights, when you sweat in your sleep, it’s better to wear something light that will absorb the sweat and prevent you from catching cold.

Sleep tip 6: cotton, linen or silk nightclothes

If you’re wearing the wrong things at night, this can also rob you of sleep. Polyester pyjamas, for example, are not recommended, as the textiles attract static and stick to the body, which is not very pleasant, particularly during a hot night. What’s more, clothing made of artificial fabrics has poor sweat-absorption properties. Nightclothes made of cotton, linen or silk are much more suited for sleeping in. These fabrics absorb moisture when you sweat and also act to lightly cool your body.

Sleep tip 7: turn off electrical devices

Electrical devices are additional sources of warmth in your rooms, which means that the heat doesn’t just come in from outdoors, it’s also generated indoors. It can be worth banishing computers, televisions, music systems and other electrical devices from your bedroom. Even charging your mobile phone overnight generates heat and should therefore be done outside the bedroom. Besides the heat, these devices are also not conducive to sleep hygiene anyway. Before you go to bed, pull out all plugs and, if possible, disconnect all devices in your bedroom.

Sleep tip 8: cool specific parts of your body

HIf nothing has helped so far, and it’s still too hot to sleep, systematically cool your body down. You could put iced water into a hot-water bottle and put it on your arms and legs. Sometimes it helps to put a cool pack onto your forehead or on your groin. It’s important never to put cool pads directly onto your skin, because this may cause cold burns. Leg compresses with vinegar water can also be helpful. These “vinegar socks” are an old household remedy for bringing down a fever, but are also cooling even if your temperature is not up, and could help you to fall asleep in summer.

Sleep tip 9: put your bedlinen into the freezer

Somewhat laborious, but effective. Put sheets, duvet covers, blankets and pillowcases into the freezer for half an hour before you go to bed. This will mean your bed is cooler when you lie down, which will make falling asleep easier.

Despite all this, can you still not sleep, regularly lying awake at night? Then maybe the sleep tips in our “Sleep well, corona!” article will interest you. You will also find a lot of information and resources on the subject under the heading “Sleep”.

 

References:
Bassani, F. & Thommen, C. (2018). Guter Schlaf trotz Sommerhitze. Newsbeitrag. SRF Panorama.
Eisenach, C. (2019). So schläfst du auch bei Hitze gut. Blogbeitrag. Higgs.ch
Universität Bern (Hrsg.). (2019). Schlaf fürs Gehirn. UniPress 176. Bern: Universität Bern, Abteilung Kommunikation & Marketing.

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