Sleeping Hot?
Nothing is worse than spending each night tossing and turning, and sticking to the sheets in sweat when you could be sleeping soundly. When you're feeling hot in bed, getting into any comfortable position can almost feel impossible. Plus, if you're sleeping next to a partner who also might be hot, your chances of waking up and staying up are much higher. So, what can you do to sleep cooler during the summer nights?
- Cool Down Your Sheets
Toss your sheets in the freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes before you go to bed. First, place them in a plastic bag, so they don't absorb any odors. While this technique won't keep you feeling cool all night long, it will offer you some brief relief from the humidity and heat, helping you get to sleep.
- Unplug Everything
While you may know eliminating blue light can help you sleep better, what's meant here by "unplugging everything" means you'll be eliminating the "heat" all the gadgets give off. So, you'll want to unplug the lights and all the things that glow. Charge your cell phones and tablets in another room. You might even want to consider unplugging appliances you're not using throughout your home. This will help cut out the heat they give off, and you'll help to lower your utility bill.
- Think Old-School
Back in the days, a fridge was nothing more than an icebox containing actual blocks of ice. You can still use this trick today to stay cool. Place a shallow bowl or pan (roasting pans are fine) full of ice in front of a blowing fan to make your DIY air conditioner. The breeze from the fan will pick the cold water up from the surface of the ice as it melts and create a cooling mist.
- Change Your Pillow
As your brain works, it generates a lot of heat, and continues doing so while you're sleeping. Therefore, you need to cool your head down at night to stay cool. This means your pillow should be cooled down. Several options of doing this include:
- Using a buckwheat or foam-type pillow instead. These two types of pillows cradle your head more comfortably while also allowing you to sleep cooler. In particular, a memory foam pillow offers great contour.
- Looking for pillows made with ventilated foam or gel-infused cooling foam for maximum airflow.
- Taking it to the next level by using a pillow designed specifically for a cooler sleeping experience. A cooling pillow is usually crafted from latex or gel-infused memory foam with breathable fabric covers.
- Sleep on a Natural Latex Mattress
Solid, naturally springy latex conforms to your body from the very first minute you lie down, and it offers you with optimal airflow, so you’ll sleep cool all night long.
A 100% natural latex mattress gives you a pure, botanical product that's harvested sustainably from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. And, it provides a cloud-like, buoyant sensation, and contains no harsh chemicals for the ultimate sleeping experience.
- Use Cooling Sheets
Not only are there cooling pillows, but you also can buy cooling sheets. Cooling sheets are crafted from organic cotton, bamboo, or other breathable materials. They're constructed to wick away moisture, so if you do happen to sweat, you'll remain dry and comfortable.
- Prevent Heat Build-Up
Do your best to avoid extra build-up of heat in your sleeping atmosphere. In the daytime, keep the sunlight out by using blinds, and close all your windows if the temperature outdoors is hotter than it is indoors. During the night, open your windows if the temperature is cooler outdoors than it is indoors.
- Turn Your AC to Sleep Mode
If you have a "sleep mode" on your air conditioner, use it. While in sleep mode, you can set the air conditioner at a sleep-inducing cooler temp before bed, and your air conditioner will gradually raise the maximum allowable temperature during the night. It might even turn itself off after several hours of use, depending on your unit.
- Take a Cool Shower Before You Go to Bed
This is actually a well-known technique — and a great one. You don't necessarily have to take a cold shower, either. Lukewarm water will help freshen you up just as well. Avoid a hot bath in the few hours leading up to bedtime, since it takes time for your body to cool itself down. A cool shower not only helps cool down your body, but you'll feel much better climbing into bed after removing the day’s sticky-feeling sweat from your body.
- Perform Exercise Earlier
Avoid exercising in the few hours leading up to bedtime. Your body can take some time getting back to normal temperature, and you don't want to be climbing into bed feeling all hot and sticky.
These are some ways you can sleep cooler in the summer months. There are obviously other methods of cooling down to get your quality sleep. Experiment with different methods. The one thing you can absolutely do to sleep cooler is to sleep on a latex mattress with cooling sheets and pillows.
