Tips to Get a Good Night Sleep during Hot Weather

After a long day at work, your body needs enough sleep to rest and fully recover for the next day. But with summer’s high temperatures, you may find it hard to sleep well, struggling with insomnia at night and waking up feeling tired and sleepy.

According to many researchers, the ideal bedroom temperature to get a good night sleep should be around 18 degrees Celsius. However, a high temperature and humidity, will lead to sleeping problems. So, what should you do to be able to sleep during hot summer nights?

Before going to bed

You can do some things before going to bed, in order to cool down your body to help you sleep better:

• Take a cold or lukewarm bath before going to bed, because it cools the body immediately and reduces your body temperature.
• Soak your feet in cold water for 10 minutes before going to bed, or moisturizing your hair with water can be another alternative.
• Get rid of excess clothing and go for oversized, lightweight and comfy pjs made of cotton or linen.

The Ideal bedroom
When it’s hot, it’s time to make some adjustments so thatyour bedroom is more suitable for summer nights. Here are some suggestions:

• Picka cool, quiet and dark corner in your bedroom, or any other room, to get a good night's sleep.
• Take off winter bed sheets, and replace them with lightweight refreshing cotton sheets. You will need only one sheet to cover yourself while sleeping, also, make sure to keep your feet uncovered in order to keep your body cool.
• Turn on the air conditioner for some time, especially if your bedroom is hot, however, it is not a good idea to leave it on the whole night.
• Use fans in a ventilated area. Make sure the room you are in, has an open door or window so fresh air can flow through the room.

Things to avoid before bed
It is better to get rid of some bad habits, especially before bed, because some of them will increase your body temperature, which prevents you from sleeping during summer hot nights. Some things to avoid:

• Exercising before bedtime; as it will increase your body temperature. Better exercise hours before going to bed, in order to help your body cool down before sleeping.
• Hot, heavy or spicy food or meals, particularly near bedtime.
• Chocolate or caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee and energy drinks, in the late afternoon or evening. These will keep you awake at night.