Although sunshine has lots of amazing benefits, the impact on sleep can be detrimental to productivity and general well-being during the hotter months.
Including below top tips from the resident sleep expert from Zinus on how to improve and prolong your snoozing time!
Regulate Your Circadian Rhythm
This one takes a little more effort, but it’s well worth it. Your circadian rhythm is what controls your body’s functions, as they relate to sleeping and waking. If they’re out of whack, it’ll be harder for you to settle down for sleep once the sun goes down and your core temperature may stay elevated past bedtime.
Luckily, you can reset it with some simple lifestyle changes like getting regular sunlight exposure and sticking to a set bedtime and waking up time. Regulating this important bodily function will help you sleep cooler and better through all seasons, summer heat waves included!
Use A Cooling Mattress Or Topper
Let your bed do some of the work for you. A cooling mattress or topper with specially formulated cooling gel will help keep your core temperature lower, helping you stay cool when sleeping. This is a very worthy investment that we can’t recommend enough.
If you really want to give yourself a leg up against the heat and sleep cooler, find a mattress that is designed for warm temperatures and combine it with the other tips on this list.
Create Cross Ventilation With Windows And Doors
Opening a window is one thing, but creating a good airflow is another. By creating cross ventilation using the breeze outside, your bedroom will feel naturally cooler. To do this, locate which direction the outside wind is blowing, and open a window or door on the side of the room that will allow it to come straight in.
Then, open one on the opposite side of the room. This two-window method ensures that stagnant hot air gets swept up and carried outside, leaving things comfortably cool inside.
Block Out Light Before Bedtime
Another way to keep your room temperature low? Draw the shades and close your blinds at least 2 hours before it’s time for lights out. Again, eliminating all light sources will cool down your bedroom significantly, enabling your body to better wind down. This is a great tip when thinking about how to sleep when it’s really hot.
Drink A Warm Beverage
Although it sounds counterintuitive, a cup of hot tea (caffeine-free, of course) or other warm drink before bed can help you cool off. Ingesting something hot can decrease your body’s heat retention by causing you to sweat.
Since this cooling method requires sweat evaporation, it works best in dryer climates and when you wear light and breathable clothing (or none at all, if that’s how you like to sleep).