Keeping Cool at Night

It’s summertime and getting hot while you sleep will be normal and something most people experience on a nightly basis. An ideal sleep temperature is between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius.

You require a cool body temperature to fall into a deep sleep and being too hot will prevent you from falling asleep and staying asleep. It is important to create a bedtime routine that will allow you to cool down and destress before you go to sleep.

Here are a few tips on how to stay cool at night.

Warm Shower or Bath

Never have a too-hot or cold bath or shower right before bed, taking a lukewarm shower or bath can lower your core body temperature. Your body temperature will initially rise but once you get out your body will start to cool down.

Frozen Cloth

The most common place for people to sweat is on their heads and faces, so it is important to keep these areas cool. To cool these areas down place a facecloth in the freezer and use it as a cold compress before bed.

Frozen water bottle

Same as with a cloth, you can place a water bottle in the freezer and use the frozen bottle as a cold compress to cool off your face and neck. You can also place a few bottles around you to keep you cool.

Pulse Points

Cooling your pulse points will expand the cooling effect to the rest of your body. Place ice packs around pulse points like ankles, wrists, crook of the elbow and to the back of the knees.  Hold in place for at least 20 minutes each time.

Ice Water

We all sweat at night and some more than others which can leave you dehydrated. So, keep a glass of ice water by your bed and sip it when you get thirsty or hot through the night. Drinking ice-cold water is a great way to cool you down and keep you hydrated.

Fans

Adjust the blades on your ceiling fan to move counter-clockwise, the airflow will create a wind-chill breeze effect to cool the room.

Cooling Mattress

If you wake up dripping in sweat every night, it is time to upgrade your mattress. Hot sleepers tend to release body heat that gets absorbed by their mattresses and bedding. When purchasing a new mattress look for one that has a cooling gel inside.

DIY Air Conditioner

If you don’t have an air conditioner in your home, don’t worry, there are a couple of ways you can make your own. Place a bowl full of ice cubes in the path of the airflow coming from a fan. You can also cut off the bottom end of two soda bottles, strap them to the back of your fan, and fill the bottles with ice.

Egyptian Method

Ancient Egyptians used to soak their sheets in cold water right before bed to keep themselves cool. We, however, don’t need to go to bed with dripping wet sheets.

Simply soak a large sheet or towel in cold water, squeeze out as much water as you can then place it in your washing machine. Run it through the spin cycle, to remove more water leaving you with a wet, not dripping sheet or towel.

Flipping your Pillow and Sheets

As we sleep our sheets and pillows tend to get hot, especially if there are no cooling products in them. If you get too hot, just flip your pillow over to the cold side, the same applies to your sheet. This will not keep you cool all night but will provide you with some temporary relief.

Frozen Bed Sheets

Place your sheets in a bag and freeze them for about an hour before going to bed. Your frozen sheets will not stay cold the entire night but they will cool you down enough to fall asleep.

Cross-Ventilation

To prevent heat from entering and accumulating in your home you should create as much ventilation as possible. Use your doors and windows to create a natural cross-ventilation. Open windows that are situated directly across from each other. To increases airspeed and a stronger cooling effect, leave a small opening on one window (in) and a larger opening on the other (out).

Frozen Socks

Now, this may just sound like the weirdest thing to do but freezing your socks is a great way to stay cool at night. Place your socks in a large plastic bag and into the freezer an hour or two before bed. When you are ready to go to bed, take them out and place them on your feet. The same can be done with a bandana to wear around your neck or head.

Cool and Moist Skin

You can reduce your body heat by keeping your skin cool. Apply a cooling gel such as aloe vera or place a damp cloth on your forehead or neck. You can also try facial or body wipes that create a cooling sensation, remove sweat, and prevent further sweating. Always use alcohol-based wipes as this is what helps remove heat from the body.

Hopefully, these helpful tips and tricks will keep you cool during warm summer nights.