Sleep expert shares the most effective ways to beat the heat – including why a HOT bath could be key to a restful night
As the summer nights heat up and temperatures rise to the mid to high 20s this week, many of us find ourselves tossing and turning, struggling to get the restful sleep we need.
High temperatures and humid conditions can make it challenging to fall asleep, leaving us feeling irritable and overtired throughout the rest of the day.
Dr Maja Schaedel has shared her best tips for staying cool and comfortable – even on the hottest of nights!
Speaking on behalf of Stocklytics, sleep expert Dr Maja Schaedel answered the key questions.
Why is it difficult to fall asleep in summer?
“Generally there’s three different reasons for this, with the two main important ones being heat and light,” the expert said.
“In order for us to fall asleep, we need our core body temperature to come down by one or two degrees. That sends a signal to our brain that it’s time to go to sleep.
“In summer it’s hard to achieve that because it’s really warm, so that is one of the biggest challenges, how we get our core body temperature to go down when it’s really hot outside.
“That’s definitely one of the ways because our body thinks it’s daytime.”
She continued by saying the summer daylight and sounds can be disruptive to a lot of people.
“The second issue is light. Light and daylight is one of the core ways for our circadian rhythm to work as it should – with the circadian rhythm basically being our internal body clock.
“This is the thing that tells us when it’s daytime and we should be awake, then when it’s nighttime and that’s when we should be asleep.
“Light is one of the best ways of signalling that. What tends to happen is in the early evening when the sun goes down, this sends a signal to our brain that actually increases the production of hormones called melatonin, which is our sleeping hormone.
“Melatonin is important for us to know that it’s time to sleep. In summertime, when it stays lighter for much longer, obviously that signalling doesn’t happen in the same way.
“Therefore, the melatonin production isn’t quite great and our circadian rhythm gets confused and doesn’t get the same signal that it’s time to go to bed.
“Another factor is the sound that you can hear in summer. As lovely as birds are, birds waking up earlier can wake people up. Those three elements make it quite hard.”
In order for us to fall asleep, we need our core body temperature to come down by one or two degrees
Dr Maja Schaedelhas
Is it good to sleep with your windows open?
“Yes and no. What I would say about the windows being open, yes it does allow cool air to come in, but there’s a few caveats to that.
“One is that you might live in a noisy area and you’re more likely to be disturbed by noise in the morning.
“Equally people worry about safety and having the window open can make them feel less secure, which can impact on how safe they feel at night and whether or not they will find it easier to sleep. I would say fans and air conditioning units work really well. Those are good ways of cooling a room down.”
Is it worth investing in blackout curtains or shutters?
“I think it depends on what kind of sleeper you are. Some people are light sleepers and anything wakes them up, so the tiniest bit of light will affect their sleep.
“In that case, blackout blinds and shutters can be really helpful, especially in the summer.
“There’s a group that I’m a bit more cautious recommending that to and that’s teenagers, young adults and anyone who thinks of themselves a night owl.
“It can be difficult anyways for those people to know when to wake up and keep in the general daytime and night times. For teenagers, I often suggest for them to leave the curtains open in the morning or leave them at least ajar.”
“You can also use daylight clocks to help you to know that it’s time to wake up. It’s a nice way of waking up because it’s less jarring than having this alarming noise that beeps and sounds.
“It also helps your brain to know when it’s daytime. I think those are quite effective.”
How to keep cool in a heatwave
Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS...
Keep out of the heat if you can.
If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter.
Cool yourself down.
Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.
Keep your living space cool.
Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.