Whether your A/C broke, your power went out, or you just don't have a A/C, sleeping on a hot night can be tough. If you are lucky, these problems will be resolved quickly, but knowing how to stay cool at night to get a restful sleep can help you during these hot times.
Here are several steps you can take to stay cool without air conditioning, or if your unit is functioning at less than full capacity.
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You have probably woke up at night and flipped your pillow over because it felt uncomfortably warm.
What you can do is invest in a firmer pillow, that will conform less to the shape of your head. This allows greater air circulation, and makes it feel cooler.
There are even certain materials available which manufacturers claim that remain cooler than ordinary pillow fillers.
If it is a long term problem to stay cool at night, you may want to consider moving your bed to a place that gets a better breeze, or sleep on the sofa in a lower floor room if it's cooler.
Using a window fan will draw in cooler air at night, and ceiling fans produce a substantial breeze throughout the entire room.
Shades or blinds keep the hot midday sun from heating up the interior of your home. Carefully placed trees outside of your home can also help keep the temperature down in your home during the hot summer months. Both of these solutions will give you a head start to cooling at night.
Large heavy meals, especially eaten late in the evening, cause your body to produce heat at night while digestion takes place. Try light meals and raw foods such as fruit and vegetables that are easier and quicker to digest.
One simple way to add cool air to your bedroom is achieved by placing a bowl of ice in front of a window or room fan. The melting ice will produce a cooler breeze. Any frozen ice pack or frozen item can be substituted if necessary, but may not work as well as ice cubes.
Many years ago people would sleep outside on very hot nights. You can still try this method if you have a safe location with protection from insects and animals. A balcony can serve this purpose as well.
Another low tech solution includes sleeping with a damp sheet covering you. Hanging a damp sheet in front of the window is another version of this method.
It is hard function well during the day if you are not getting enough sleep at night. Health problems can result from a lack of sleep, because your body's immune system needs this time to recharge.
Using these tips and others to stay cool at night can help, but if anyone in your family has serious health problems, you may want to stay elsewhere during extreme heat conditions.
Spending the time to improve your sleeping conditions will improve your day, making it time well spent.
