How do you beat the heat & sleep comfortably when the mercury rises during the hot dry Kiwi summer. NIWA, the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research says we are in for a hot summer – which judging from our holiday period so far seems to be the case. The whole country is set for above average temperatures this summer, periods of high humidity and warm nights.
Getting good sleep & ensuring a long restorative night in bed is harder when it’s so warm. Here’s FIVE ways to set yourself up for better sleep during summer.
What you sleep on is definitely going to affect your body temperature in bed. Ditch the flannel sheets and go for something light weight, lighter coloured and breathable. Fabrics like cotton or linen are great and using the natural fibre tencel gives you a cooler feeling when you slip between the sheets.
Your head is another hotspot that can make you feel hot in bed. We recommend you choose a cooling gel pillow – the Sleepyhead 24/7 FusionGel pillow is perfect & has Tencel added for a breathable soft sleep surface.
Unless you have air-conditioning, your next best choice for creating constant airflow while you are in bed is a fan. However, this can sometimes feel like you are just circulating hot air around the room and doesn’t help summer sleeping at all.
The tip here is not to position the fan at your bed but rather towards an open window so it blows the hot air out. If it’s safe, open a window on the cooler side of your home or bedroom to pull the cool air inside. Another option is to make your own DIY air conditioning unit. You can use a fan and a bowl of ice. Place the bowl in front of the fan and as the ice melts, a cool mist is blown across you for a cooling comfort.
Firstly, are you sharing a queen size bed with your significant other? Queen size mattresses are the most common size bed among Kiwis but you only have 153cm in mattress width for you and your other half if you share a bed. However, the extra body heat radiating from your partner can turn a warm night into a boiling inferno.
We are not suggesting you head for the spare room or even move into your own single beds but maybe it’s time to upsize your mattress and give yourself some space on those warm nights. And if you need to upgrade we recommend you buy a bed with our temperature regulating technology Kulkote.
On a warm summer night, there seems to be nothing better than the cooling effect of an icy shower. However, while it might cool you down, it may not help you get to sleep. Stepping into a cold shower will reduce your core body temperature faster, but then it puts your body into a state of alert. Your body tries to warm itself up after the shower as quickly as possible which then raises your heart rate, increasing your metabolism, boosting energy & elevating your mental alertness. Not a great state to be in for bedtime.
So the recommendations say, take a lukewarm shower – it strikes a perfect equilibrium of cooling you slightly without any overstimulation. You could also try and soak your feet in cold water before you go to sleep. There are lots of plusle points on your feet and ankles. Leaving them in cold water for a few minutes will cool them down and have a similar effect to a lukewarm shower.
Contrary to popular belief, sleeping in your birthday suit versus your PJs isn’t the best choice to try and cool down at night. That’s because you sweat when you sleep and if you are naked, there’s no moisture wicking clothing to help keep you cool. The sweat just remains on your skin and isn’t absorbed. So it’s generally recommended you sleep in light bed clothes – especially those made of natural breathable fibres like cotton.
