Staying asleep on a hot and humid night can be challenging for many. The heat can cause discomfort and restlessness, making it hard to relax and fall asleep. For hot sleepers, it may also cause excessive sweating which may irritate the skin. Given these challenges, it’s essential to be prepared for sweltering nights to ensure that you can still get adequate rest as needed.
There are many ways you can have a comfortable and relaxing bedtime during warm nights. Here are some suggestions you can consider:
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Take A Shower Before Bed
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Taking a shower in lukewarm water may help regulate your body temperature and boost relaxation for bedtime. It also has a cooling effect on the skin, which can help you remove the sticky feeling of sweat and humidity during hot weather. While it may be comforting to immerse your body in cool water, the drop in temperature might awaken your system, affecting the relaxation needed for quality sleep. As such, it’s best to use lukewarm water when you take a quick shower before bed.
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Use Cooling Sleeping Materials
You can use sheets made of light fabric such as silk or linen to cover your mattress and use lightweight blankets when needed. You can also use specialized pillows, such as PineTales Cooling Pillow, that are breathable and made of absorbent fabric. You’ll be more comfortable as cooling pillows allow air to circulate and don’t trap heat. As such, this type of pillow will be beneficial for hot nights when you may sweat more than usual.
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Move Your Mattress To The Floor
If you have enough space on your bedroom floor, you can also consider moving your mattress to the floor to feel more relaxed at night. Since warm air is lighter than cool air, it stays on the upper parts of the room, keeping temperatures high. On the other hand, the air circulating in the lower part of the room will be cooler and ideal for sleep. Also, certain kinds of flooring materials tend to stay cool even in warm weather. For that reason, the coolness of the floor may also help alleviate the heat.
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Regulate The Temperature And Boost Ventilation
Maintaining a lower temperature promotes restful sleep by ensuring that your body doesn’t warm up too much due to the hot weather. It also prevents excessive sweating, which may add to your discomfort at night. The ideal room temperature for quality sleep should be around 16°C to 18°C because it’s close to the average resting body temperature needed for relaxation.
Aside from regulating the temperature, you can also feel more comfortable by boosting ventilation in the room. The air movement can help you breathe more comfortably while reducing the heat levels in your bedroom. It can also help reduce the heat trapped in your bedding as you rest, which will help you feel more at ease.
To improve ventilation in your room, you can consider using a fan and opening up a few windows in your room. This way, the natural breeze can come in, which can help reduce heat.
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Reduce Lighting
Sleeping in a dark room can help boost your comfort levels and reduce the effect of hot temperatures. Bright lights can add to the heat of warm weather and keep your body and mind alert. That being the case, you can also consider turning off most of the lights in the room during warm nights.
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Wear Light Garments
Instead of your usual pajamas, you can consider wearing lighter garments made of soft, thin fabric to help you feel more relaxed at night. Your skin will be able to breathe and won’t get irritated by friction and heat. Also, you can avoid excessive sweating and discomfort.
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Stay Hydrated During The Day
The heat may leave you feeling thirsty during bedtime, which can keep you up and prevent you from falling asleep. To avoid this, you can boost your hydration during the day by drinking enough water and eating more fruits and vegetables. Moreover, avoid salty and sugary foods to help prevent dehydration and thirst.
You can also drink a glass of cool water before going to bed. However, you may need to limit your water intake a few hours before bedtime to avoid having to go to the bathroom late at night.
Conclusion
Hot days can leave you feeling tired and sluggish because it requires more energy to do daily activities under extreme heat. Given this, it’s essential to get adequate rest on these days to help you restore your energy levels and feel ready to start a new day. Getting quality sleep is not impossible during warm nights as long as you’re able to prepare suitable sleeping materials and make adjustments to your nightly routine as needed.
