An incredibly hot night is enough to make you lose sleep in the middle of the night if not prevent you from falling asleep in the first place. If you’re reading this, it is safe to assume that you know how important sleep is to your mental, emotional, and physical health and overall well-being.
You could be one of the many people who fall victim to sleep deprivation due to the unforgiving temperatures of summer. But there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from the dreadful nights of the warmer months.
With this having been said, below are six ways to sleep better in the hot summer months.
1. Use a Summer Sleep Light
In summer, you’re more likely to get engaged in many social activities that keep you active and awake longer. This often means prolonged exposure to blue light, which can cause a significant delay in the release of melatonin, a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake-cycle. Combined with the heat, it can be incredibly difficult to get some snooze and stay asleep.
Apparently, though, you can correct the problem by investing in the right kind of bedroom lighting – sleep lights! A summer sleep light is simply a bulb designed to emit light at different wavelengths depending on the time of the day. Having these at least in your bedroom can help restore your body’s production of melatonin, thus soothing you to sleep when you should.
2. Invest in Breathable Fabric
When the warmer months come knocking, it’s definitely time to lose those extremely “comfy” duvets and switch to lighter bedding. Many people actually feel comfortable sleeping in just one cotton bed sheet covering, but it’s safe to have a lightweight blanket nearby in case the temperatures drop at some point during the night. For the utmost comfort on the hottest summer nights, go for breathable fabric, including your pajamas!
3. Set Your AC at 65 degrees F at Bedtime
You may already be familiar with the myth that sleeping with your AC on at night can cool your room down. However, some studies have shown that sleeping with your AC on at night is actually unnecessary – or not effective anyway. Well, it’s apparently safe to leave your AC on at night, but the key is setting your AC at a lower temperature when you go to bed. And on those hot summer nights, keeping it at 65 degrees Fahrenheit is thought to be ideal.
4. Cool Your Bedroom with a Fan
While not particularly effective in the summer, the cooling effect of a ceiling fan is a nice addition to any bedroom. When installed on your ceiling, it can be adjusted to regulate the room’s temperature.
It is also important to remember that air conditioning makes you hotter because it doesn’t allow your body to get rid of sweat, causing your core temperature to rise.
5. Lose the Pajamas
If the idea of sleeping butt naked doesn’t sound like a taboo to you, you can go ahead and do just that in the warmer summer months. Especially after having a warm shower or bath, sleeping naked is a great way to enhance sleep comfort on hot summer nights.
So, go ahead and lose your PJs. Men and women who aren’t okay with sleeping completely bare can wear some briefs or panties and a vest or light boop-top respectively for a better snooze. Ladies, you may want to avoid sleeping with a bra unless you really need it!
6. Stick Your Hands and Feet Out Of the Covers
Why do you instantly feel warmer when you rub your hands together on an extremely cold day? Why do the feet, especially the toes, feel colder on a cold day? If you guessed right, these are the extremities of the body. They lose heat faster than they gain it. Dangling your hands and feet out can help lower your overall body temperature, thus keeping you cooler and more comfortable on hotter nights.
Hopefully, the tips above will help improve your sleep quality this summer and the ones that follow.
