When it's hot outside and you don't have air conditioning, getting to sleep can be difficult. Fortunately, there are ways to cool down enough to allow you to doze off and have a good, restful sleep.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Getting ready for bed
Step 1. Stop exercising a few hours before going to bed
When you play sports, you raise your body temperature and retain heat. Exercising several hours before bed will give your body time to cool down.
You should also drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated
Step 2. Avoid large or spicy meals
Eating a heavy meal or spicy food before bed can make you feel even hotter. Eat a light dinner at least 2-3 hours before bed, avoiding spices and hot sauce.
Step 3. Avoid drinking ice water
Drinking cold water slows down not only digestion but also metabolism, constricting blood vessels and thus reducing hydration and the body's ability to cool down. Drink water at room temperature.
Step 4. Take a shower or a moderately warm bath.
Do not take a very cold shower, as it can have a counterproductive effect. The body temperature, in fact, can rise to counteract the action of cold water. Instead, take a lukewarm shower.
You can also soak your hands and feet in warm water. Your hands and feet are your "radiators" - the parts of your body that tend to heat up. Refreshing them by immersing them in warm water will regulate your body temperature and give you refreshment
Step 5. Look for a cool, dark place to sleep, possibly on the ground floor or in a cellar
The heat moves upwards, so find a place in direct contact with the ground, such as the floor of your bedroom, the ground floor or the basement of your home.
Step 6. Replace heavy sheets and blankets with lighter ones
Remove thick, heat-retaining mattress protectors and mattress covers, and any heavy blankets or duvets. Use cooler bedding, such as light cotton sheets and blankets.
Straw or bamboo mats are just as useful for staying cool at night, as they don't retain body heat and don't cause you to overheat. You can create a bed with a bamboo mat on the floor of your room to have an alternative point to the classic mattress
Step 7. Put the bedding in the freezer
Put pillow cases, sheets and blankets in the freezer for 30 minutes before you plan to go to bed. Once you have them back in place, they should stay cool enough for 30-40 minutes, which is the time you need to fall asleep.
Avoid getting your bedding wet or sleeping on water-soaked sheets. Don't soak your socks in cold water and put them on to go to sleep, and don't use a wet shirt. Bringing something wet to the room or wearing it will only trap thick moisture in the room and cause further discomfort
Step 8. Open the windows
An hour before bed, open the bedroom windows to increase air circulation and cool it. However, you should close them before falling asleep to avoid letting the space cool down overnight.
- When you sleep, your body temperature reaches its lowest point around 3 a.m. At this time, the outside temperature also drops. If you fall asleep with the windows open, your neck and head muscles may involuntarily tighten due to the sharp drop in temperature, causing you to wake up.
- Keep windows, roller blinds, and shutters closed during the day to avoid overheating the room.
Step 9. Sleep in cotton clothing
You may be tempted to undress completely to cool off, but sleeping naked can make you feel the heat more, because it doesn't allow moisture to evaporate between your body and the support surface. Prefer cotton clothing, avoid synthetic fibers, such as nylon, and silk, as they do not make the skin breathe and can make you feel even warmer.
Step 10. Wipe a damp cloth over your face, hands and feet
Keep a damp cloth or towel on the bedside table to wet your face or arms at night. However, avoid going to sleep with wet skin. Once you have wiped the cloth, pat your skin dry with a clean towel before going to sleep.
You can also buy special towels made from fibers that promote evaporation, retain water and stay dry to the touch. They will refresh you without getting your skin wet
Step 11. Leave your wrists or inner arms under cold tap water for 30 seconds
In these parts of the body, blood flows closer to the skin surface. Putting them under running cold water for one minute will cool the blood, refreshing the entire body.
Part 2 of 2: Cooling Down in Bed
Step 1. Encourage ventilation with a fan
Keep the bedroom door open and place the fan in a corner so it is facing the bed.
Avoid pointing it towards your face, back or too close to your body. If you direct it towards your face, you risk stiffening your neck muscles and causing allergies or other ailments
Step 2. Make an ice pack
Before air conditioning existed, people used to hang ice packs or towels in front of fans to cool down.
- To make a cold pack, hang a wet towel containing ice cubes on two chairs. Point a fan towards the towel and a wall (or away from you, towards a corner of the room).
- Place a container under the towel, which will collect the dissolved water.
Step 3. Turn the pillow over to the cool side
If you wake up in the middle of the night because of the heat, turn the pillow over to the other side. It will be cooler than the one you were sleeping on, because it won't have absorbed your body heat over the course of the night.
Step 4. Place a cool compress on your neck or forehead
This product can be found in many pharmacies. Place one under the neck, on the forehead or under the arms, near the armpits. Cooling the back of the neck, forehead or armpits helps you cool the rest of your body as well.
- You can also make a cold pack at home. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of dish soap into an airtight bag. Put it in the freezer. The detergent will not harden and will keep the temperature cold longer than ice packs. Once you're ready to use it, slip it into a pillowcase or fold it into a towel and apply it to your neck or arms. Since the compress is not solid, it is versatile and comfortable for almost any part of the body.
- You can also make a rice sock. Put it in the freezer and let it cool for at least 2 hours. When you go to sleep, take it with you so you can use it as a cold pack. Try putting it under your pillow so it will be cool when you turn it over.
Step 5. Spray some water contained in a bottle with a spray dispenser on the face and neck
If you wake up in the middle of the night because of the heat, take a spray bottle and fill it with cold water. Spray it on your face and neck to cool them down.
