One look out the window last week will tell you that the Irish summer has finally arrived. Another look at the temperature scales will show you that this is making things a lot hotter, which can have a big effect on how well you sleep at night. To give you the best chance of sleeping through the summer heat, here’s our 7 Top tips for staying cool:
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Start things off with a lukewarm shower
Resist the urge to jump into a cold shower before you jump into bed. Instead, opt for lukewarm water. As well as being slightly more bearable than an ice-cold rinse, tepid water makes it easier for your body to reach an optimal pre-sleeping temperature. Just make sure not to hang about too long after your shower before getting into bed, as this may cause your body temperature to rise again before you get under the sheets.
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Pick yourself up some cotton PJs and sheets
Let’s start with something simple – surrounding yourself with cotton before you close your eyes. While it’s often thought that sleeping with nothing is a good way to stay cool at night because there is nothing to absorb the sweat, you often end up warmer. Using cotton pajamas and thin pure cotton sheets for your bed is a great way to stay cool during warm summer nights.
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Become a fan of fans
The humble power fan is a simple, cheap and effective way to stay cool during summer nights. However, there are ways to enhance the effectiveness of your fan with a few simple hacks. For starters, place a damp sheet between your bed and your new fan, which will cool the air as it travels towards your slumbering body. Alternatively, throw some ice on to a dinner plate and place that in front of the fan. Whichever route you chose, remember to keep your bedroom door open allowing the air to circulate.
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Get a summer duvet or ditch it altogether
A summer duvet is one with a low tog rating that you can keep in to the top of your wardrobe during the colder seasons. If you find that you’re still too warm with it, why not opt for a thin (and cotton – see point 2) sheet instead of any duvet. But instead of sleeping under it, lie on top of it and simply curl yourself up in the sides of it if you get too cold during the coolest parts of the night.
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Spring for a comfortable mattress
Whether it’s just you or the whole family, when it comes to a hot summer’s night, the key to a good sleep is selecting perfect mattresses – ones which meets the needs of your body shape and weight, relieves medical problems and supports you and potentially the needs of your partner too. If you find that you are a warm sleeper, then a memory foam mattress is NOT the way to go, as it has insulating properties. Natural mattresses like Nature’s Touch and Natural Latex are naturally cooler and will suit you far better.
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Draw your curtains during the day
Most people open their blinds or curtains first thing and leave them open all day, heating up the room while they’re absent. By simply leaving them closed from the moment you wake up, you stand a much better chance of walking back into a cooler room when it comes times to go back to bed.
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Sleep downstairs
This might seem drastic but if you are really struggling to sleep at night, this might be the best short-term option for getting a good night’s sleep. A fold-out bed or even a sun-lounger is a much better option than the couch as both of them will allow air to circulate around you more freely than the couch will. And for the best results, consider actually sleeping in the kitchen or any other room that might have a cool, tiled floor.
Why not talk to us if you find these don’t work
As mentioned before, the key to a good night’s rest is finding the perfect mattress. With over 30 years providing expert sleeping solutions for customers across the country, The Natural Sleep Company can help you find whatever you need to know before you buy the right mattresses for you and your family. Our team of experts design and build Ireland’s finest mattresses and beds for the retail market including five star hotels, leading high-street furniture retailers and bespoke bed providers, and they’re standing by to do the same for you too.
