Sleeping in a heatwave
Written by Victoria Goss Date 08 June 2023
A huge thank you to Victoria Goss for writing this guest blog post for those having difficulty sleeping during a heatwave. Victoria Goss specialises in beautiful, pure cotton nightwear for women and so knows a thing or two about getting a good night’s sleep!
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to both our physical and mental well being but it can be difficult to achieve when the night is far too warm for comfort and so, with Summer just around the corner, here are a few quick tips to help you achieve that longed for sleep in hot weather:
Prepare your bedroom in advance for the night ahead – try to keep the blinds drawn when the sun is shining into your room and if the air is hot then close the window too during the day. Open the window when the air has cooled in the evening to help lower the temperature inside. A bowl of ice cold water placed on the windowsill will further help to cool the air coming into the room.
Only use natural fibre sheets on your bed – poly cotton or polyester sheets will only make you feel hotter. A good quality cotton under and top sheet will help to let your body breathe overnight. Don’t be afraid to wet your top sheet with cold water too, this will help to cool your skin and is a trick that is used frequently in Mediterranean countries.
Put the duvet away. Even a summer weight duvet is too hot for heatwave temperatures. A top sheet will probably be enough but if you’ve been very successful at cooling your room then add a lightweight woollen blanket to the bottom of your bed that you can quickly pull up if needed during the night.
Have a cool bath or shower before you go to bed. This will remove any stickiness from the day and help to relax you especially if you use a soap or shower gel scented with natural lavender oil.
Choose your nightwear with care – a polyester nightdress will not let your skin breathe but a pure cotton one will. Bamboo also makes wonderful fabric for nightwear in all weathers as it naturally helps to thermo-regulate your temperature and as it is produced in a jersey type fabric it has a bit of ‘give’ in it making it very comfortable. Don’t be tempted to sleep without clothes, it may seem like a good idea but not only will you feel warmer than if you had a cool (again even dampened) nightdress on, you will be more likely to be bitten during the night by all those pesky insects!
Close down all blue light emitting devices at least two hours before bed. Not only does the blue light confuse your brain into feeling more alert than it should at bedtime but having a gadget to hand will add extra heat to your room which you don’t want.
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during the day. Tea, coffee and wine don’t really count for this! A long glass of diluted fruit juice or squash is much better and I prefer it to plain water as it helps to add some important salts and sugars to your system. Be sure to take a glass of water to bed with you in case you wake in the night feeling thirsty.
Eliminate all unnecessary light in your bedroom. If you have a TV in the room then try not to leave it on standby. If you can’t be without your phone close at hand then turn it off before you go to bed. Let the darkness settle around you and allow yourself to be drawn into the shadows towards sleep by it.
I hope you find these tips helpful and remember that if you need to purchase a pure cotton nightdress or pyjamas to wear on these warm nights there is a great selection to choose from at www.victoriagoss.co.uk