Although it’s not been the most scorching of summers, there have still been some sticky nights, which can make it tricky to get a good night’s sleep. Warren Evans’ sleep expert and founder of The Sleep Site, Dave Gibson, gives us his top tips for beating the heat in bed…
1. Put the sheet you are sleeping under in the fridge (in a plastic cover). Lying under some freshly chilled sheets can help your body get rid of any unwanted heat and helps your temperature to drop into that perfect sleep mode.
2. Fill a hot water bottle with ice water and place on the ‘cooling points’ of your body, such as behind your knees or ankles. The wrists, neck, groin and elbows are other ‘pulse points’ which can be used to reduce your body temperature in this way. A barley or buckwheat bag, after being placed in the freezer, can be similarly used. Equally, buckwheat pillows, in general, will be cooler than your normal down one. If you don’t have any of the above fill a sock with rice and put it in the freezer.
3. Replace your bedtime body moisturiser with aloe vera-based after-sun cream, kept in the fridge for added cooling power.
4. Fill an empty perfume bottle with chilled water and keep this by your bedside, spray on your face, back of your neck and back of your knees to cool down.
5. Use cotton pyjamas and thin, pure cotton sheets for your bed. Soft and breathable, high-quality cotton is the ideal bedding material to sleep between to stay cool. Sleeping with pyjamas is often cooler than going commando, but choose which suits you.
6. Keep meals light and eat small meals often, rather than large meals more sparsely, to avoid creating metabolic heat as you digest your food, which will warm you up. Avoid too much protein as this is a known food group to boost your metabolic rate and heats your body up.
7. There’s a reason hotter countries like India and Thailand are famous for their delicious curries. The chemical capsaicin in spicy food stimulates heat receptors in your mouth, enhancing circulation and causing sweating, which cools the body down. Be sure to eat at least three hours before you go to bed though, as spicy foods can also stop you sleeping well.
8. A popular Chinese remedy, chrysanthemum tea is said to have ‘cooling’ properties whilst also helping you keep a clear head and being caffeine free.
9. Exercise in the mornings out of the sun, you want to give your body as much time as possible to cool down when the days are warmer. Working out is best before the heat of the day starts to set in, around 7am if you can do it!
10. Wear loose cotton clothing, preferably light coloured, throughout the day. Cotton is lightweight and loose clothing promotes are circulation, ensuring your clothes aren’t retaining your body heat.
11. Keep your evening bath or shower tepid, which makes it easier for your body to reach the optimal sleep temperature. Leaving your hair wet can also help cool you during the night.
12. Keep windows closed and curtains drawn in the day to keep the house cooler, particularly those facing east or west. This stops your home warming up in the sun and in the evening can also help block the evening light, helping you to wind down more easily.
13. Turn off all electrical devices in the room, as these produce heat when running (this will also help you avoid those tempting, late-night social media and email check-ups!). Use natural light if you can rather than light bulbs, which emit heat.
14. Your feet and toes have many blood vessels and can help the body cool quickly if kept cool. Put a hot water bottle in the freezer to create an ice pack for your feet at night. Putting your feet into a bucket of icy water before bed, or even having one beside the bed at night, to dunk your feet if you wake up can work. If you don’t want to use these techniques also try dangling your feet and toes outside of the covers.
15.Put a damp sheet between a fan and your bed, or use it to push the hot air out of an open window. You can also position a roasting pan full of ice in front of the fan to cool the air. Always try to keep the bedroom door open too as it allows the air to circulate. Change the rotation on ceiling fans to counter clockwise so that they pull hot air up and out, rather than spinning it around the room.
16. Putting a damp sheet in front of an open window will have a similar effect if there is any breeze, cooling the air coming into the bedroom.
17. Sleep on a damp sheet or damp towels, also known as the Egyptian method, as it’s used in this area of the world. Make sure you protect your mattress with a dry towel underneath.
18. Drink water regularly during the day, but not too much at night. About ½ pint before bed will be enough to keep you hydrated (if it’s very hot and you are sweating) and prevent you from having to use the bathroom regularly. Have a glass by your bed in case you wake up dehydrated.
19. Sleep in a separate bed from your partner on particularly hot nights, as this will enable you both to stretch out more and prevent your combined body temperature overheating you. As soon as the colder weather sets in, get back to snuggling up.
20. Even try sleeping downstairs if it’s especially hot: heat rises, and the lower rooms will be cooler.
21. Last, but not least, invest in a good mattress. Warren Evans offers a broad range of beds and mattresses to suit every budget, and every sleep style, whether you like to slide into bed and sink into softness, or have back issues and need something a little firmer for support throughout the night. Many of the latest models also include temperature-control technology too, helping you to sleep soundly whatever the weather.
From traditional pocket-sprung mattress to the latest memory-foam models, most come with five- or 10-year guarantees and speedy delivery. There are branches around the country, with experts on hand to advise on which type would be best for you, and you can even have a little lie down to test them out, too (which is always a nice break from a Saturday afternoon shopping).
Warren Evans’ own-brand Absolute 25 (£545) is made from high-density, heat-sensitive memory-foam, which reacts to your body weight, easing under your heavier bits and staying firm under your lighter ones. The foam also absorbs, stores and releases heat to keep you warm in winter and cool in the hotter months. A temperature-regulating Outlast cover even helps to balance skin temperature, absorbing and releasing body heat to keep you comfortable all night long.
Tempur manufactures top-of-the-range memory-foam models made from ingenious, heat-sensitive material developed by none other than NASA (from £1,329). These high-tech, hypoallergenic mattresses redistribute your body weight and conform to your body shape, supporting you in your most comfortable position as you sleep and keeping you cool while you slumber. And while they’re not cheap, they’re guaranteed to give you a sleep that’s out-of-this-world. Sweet dreams.
Dave Gibson has been practicing as a Naturopath and Osteopath for over 14 years, and is a qualified hypnotherapist. He has worked on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing as their osteopath and provides naturopathic advice across a wide range of conditions to promote good sleep patterns and quality sleep. Find out more at thesleepsite.co.uk
For more on Warren Evans beds and mattresses, go to warrenevans.com
