6 Ways to Fall Asleep on Hot Nights

To fall asleep easily, the body needs to bring its temperature down. However, hot summer days may complicate the matter, but few simple habits will help you fall asleep easier.

While temperature is rising outside, falling asleep at night can be a real challenge; to get a good night sleep, the body must cool down. This is why it is recommended to lie in a bed inside a cool room, so that the body regulates its temperature.

"To do this, the body needs to burn calories. By losing them, the body’s temperature drops and then makes you fall asleep. When the room is warm, the body does not lose heat and does not cool down,”

explains neurobiologist and research director at Inserm, Joelle Adrien. The following tricks will allow you to feel refreshed and find deep sleep in no time. Keep on reading.

Light dinner

This rule applies for 365 days of the year. A dinner filled with eggplant caviar, hummus and tuna mousse for example, will be very heavy on your digestive system and will increase the body’s temperature thus, will be difficult for you to sleep. Be careful not to have starchy foods in the evening, to make sure you don't end up in the kitchen at night. In general, avoid dinners rich in protein (meats, eggs) and fats.

A drink at room temperature

The hot weather does not make you want to drink a hot drink. But if drinking herbal tea is part of your evening routine, that doesn’t mean you should give it up. Having a warm shower or a drink at room temperature allows the body to regulate and lower its temperature.

Warm Shower

In order to lower your body’s temperature when you’re feeling hot is to take a warm shower. "In reaction to cold water, the body will produce more heat," explains Dr. Adrien.

Moisten the sheets

Spray water on your sheets. "Once evaporated, the humidity creates cold," adds the neurobiologist. Thus, the body does not have to lie down on warm sheets, which will lower its temperature and make you fall asleep faster. You can also sleep naked, however, during the night the body does not regulate its temperature. Always cover yourself with a sheet in case of night chills.

Choose Linen cotton

Silk, synthetic fibers, cotton, linen ... Which bed material should you choose to avoid sweating when sleeping? The answer is cotton. Synthetic materials cause sweat and doesn’t make the air circulate well. Also, Linen is less absorbent than cotton.

Meditation and sophrology

Before sleeping, allow yourself to disconnect from your day and heat for ten minutes at least while lying on your bed or on a carpet. Try sophrology with abdominal breathing, or some meditation exercises. By focusing on the breath and providing more oxygen to the body and the brain, though sophrology, the nervous system will be relieved. Meditation is also another way to calm down when the mind is not asleep.