Tips to Getting Better Sleep this Summer

Who hasn’t gone through a hot summer night when it seems virtually impossible to fall asleep? We’ve all been there, turning and tossing in bed and struggling with the perspiration that seems to have glued us to the bedsheets. It is simply, in a word, awful. In fact, what can possibly be worse than trying to relax and catch some zzz’s in an incredibly sticky, hot room. Brutal temperatures in the summer are hard to avoid when summer comes around the corner. If you have no air conditioner in your room, how could you possibly cool down? Believe it or not, there are a few things you can do to try and beat the heat this summer.

Your physical and mental state is directly affected by sleeping well. In fact, it can take a serious toll on your energy in the day when you don’t get enough sleep. It also affects your weight, emotional balance and productivity. At the same time, many people toss and turn at night, particularly in the summer when it is just too hot, really struggling with getting much-needed sleep. The solution is to create a few changes in your night time routine that will help tackle the hazy, hot months of summer. Finding a few methods of sleeping well in the summer time will leave you emotionally balanced and mentally sharp, with sufficient energy for the days ahead.

Even when you sleep fairly well, normally, the summer can make light sleepers out of the best of us. In fact, your ears may be assaulted with the sounds of cars speeding, teens hanging out in the late hours, the dogs of the neighborhood barking, croaking frogs or chirping crickets. Most often, artificial light disrupts. Whether you are hanging out later than usual, having dinner with friends, exercising or hanging out by the pool, sleep can seem elusive during the summer. Even night-time eating can make it hard to sleep. The fact that summer is defined by cold beer, mojitos and sangria makes matters worse, when it comes to your bedtime. Remember, even if alcohol does make you sleepy, it contributes to low quality sleep and nocturnal waking.

Your weight, vitality, creativity, immune system, heart health, brain and mood are all going to be affected adversely by tossing and turning during those hot summer nights. When you experiment with the tips below and find the ones that work best for you, the result is that you will get better sleep at night. You will then be able to improve the way you feel and think during the daytime hours.

It may seem impossible to get a good night’s sleep in the summer. This is particularly true when you are someone who has moved to an overall cold state into a hotter climate. Even in colder states, however, the heat in the summer is simply unbearable. Believe it or not, you have more control over your sleep quality than you think. Just as the way you feel in the daytime hinges on the quality of sleep you get at night, the cure for sleeplessness can usually be found in the way you arrange your bedroom in the daytime to be conducive to sleeping at night.

The Ideal Sleeping Temperature

Reportedly, the ideal temperature for sleeping is between sixty and seventy degrees Fahrenheit.  People sleep much better when it’s cool. When you sleep, your breathing and heart rate slows down and the patterns of your brainwaves change. The temperature of your body begins dropping. When you sleep in a cooler environment, it fools your body into falling asleep easier. It is also at this time that you enter the stage of Rapid Eye Movement (REM). So when it is warmer rather than cooler, your body finds it hard to believe that it is time to sleep.

Loosen Up

When it comes to summer pajamas, select soft, loose cotton shorts and shirts and underwear. It is somewhat controversial to sleep with no clothing on, as some say perspiration stays on your skin rather than getting wicked off by clothing. Your best bet to staying cool is to keep everything loose.

When In Egypt…

The dwellers of the Nile sure knew how to sleep regardless of the hot, summer nights. If there is a lot of references with regards to Egypt, that is because they are summertime experts. In fact, there is a way to sleep called the Egyptian method. This involves getting a towel or sheet damp and using it as a blanket. You might want to lie down on a dry towel before you do this to keep the mattress from getting soaked.

Save On Utility

Get yourself a regular hot water bottle. In the winter, keep your toes toasty by filling it with boiling water. In the summer, do the opposite. Fill it up with water and freeze it to create an ice pack that is super bed-friendly.

Freeze Your Sheets

You heard it right. Sticking your sheets in the freezer for a few minutes before going to bed will work wonders for your bedtime this summer. You might even want to put the sheets into a zip lock back or plastic bag with your favorite scent before sticking it into the freezer with the cold cuts. Okay, so it won’t keep you cool the entire night, but it will trick your mind into sanity for those first few crucial minutes before sleeping.

Cotton Sheets

One great tip for staying as cool as a cucumber in the summer is to use cotton sheets in the summer rather than polyester, silk or satin. Bed linens that are made of breathable Egyptian cotton work best. These promote air flow and ventilation in the bedroom.