Sleep expert reveals how to keep your bedroom cool this summer

Top tips to keep your bedroom cool this summer and sleep well

The blazing summer heat is thoroughly underway, and with that comes hot, restless nights. So, now is the perfect time to find out how to keep your bedroom cool and breezy for a restful sleep without cranking up the air con.

Sleep expert April Mayer from Amerisleep.com has outlined the best tips to optimize your sleep experience by keeping temperatures down in your home.

5 top tips for a cool bedroom

To get a good night’s rest, your body needs to lower its core temperature to one that’s ideal for sleeping. You can achieve this, even on a hot summer night, by following these 5 top tips:

1. Optimize your bedsheets

You should also make your bedsheets as comfortable and cool as possible to aid sleep. As a quick fix, you can freeze your bedsheets by putting them in a plastic bag and storing them in the freezer. When you put them on before bed, they will keep you cool and help you fall asleep. 

You should also select bedsheets comprised of the most beneficial material. Cotton is good for breathability, allowing air to flow around your body whilst wicking away moisture like sweat. Tencel sheets stay cool consistently throughout the night. Wool is another surprisingly cooling option as it acts as a barrier to external heat. 

2. Dress cool

As well as your bedding, make sure you are wearing the materials with the best cooling properties. Cotton pajamas are an excellent choice. Cotton is breathable, allows air to flow, and wicks away moisture. 

3. Choose a cooling mattress

You could invest in a cooling mattress to ensure you stay chilled out while you sleep. Several mattress types promote airflow and pull body heat away from you. These include:

• Latex mattresses
• Hybrid mattresses
• Innerspring mattresses

Gel mattresses also absorb heat, pulling body heat away from you but are often not as breathable as other types. 

4. Snooze alone

This may be unrealistic for some couples, especially if they like to snuggle up, but if it is not an issue, you should embrace your own space. If two people share a bed, that is two people radiating heat – double the heat of sleeping alone. 

Also, if you sleep alone, you can spread your limbs out further, allowing air to move freely around your body. 

5. Plan for a cool night’s sleep

You can establish a routine before going to sleep to keep you cool. For example, you could prepare a cool icy drink to consume to bring down your internal temperature. A cold shower before bed is another way to reduce your body temperature. Ice packs could be applied to help chill your body as well. 

A fan can also quickly blow any hot air away from the bedroom for cool surroundings. 

Keeping the whole house cool

You can stay cooler at night without relying on expensive air conditioning by preventing the heat from building up in your home during the day. This can be done with a few simple steps:

1. Turn off electronics and lights when not in use

Electronic devices with built-in exhaust fans like video game consoles and computers radiate warm air. Heat is also generated by lighting. To limit heat being distributed and stored in your home, make sure you turn everything off when it is not in use. Make sure nothing is left on standby and devices are fully powered down to help them cool off. 

You should also switch to lighting that creates less heat. For example, LED lights emit less heat than incandescent or halogen bulbs. 

2. Shut out the sun

A good way to keep the inside of your house cool is to block out the sun’s warming rays. The sun’s light can emit heat from the ground up. So, even if rays sneak under a gap in your curtains, they can start to heat up your room. 

If you use energy-efficient window coverings like blackout blinds and curtains, you can block out and stop the sun from heating your room. The coloring of your window coverings and walls also has a bearing on heat. This is because light colors reflect and disperse heat while darker colors absorb it. 

3. Cook and eat alfresco

When cooking food, a large amount of heat is generated. Whether you use gas, electricity, the stove, or the oven, your house will get warmer. Whilst creating deliciously satisfying meals, you could also be creating a dissatisfying sleep experience. The heat generated may not dissipate properly, raising your house’s internal temperature. 

Instead, you could take advantage of the hot, dry weather by cooking outside. It could be the perfect excuse to fire up the barbecue. Just be sure to stay in the shade and drink plenty of cool liquids whilst grilling. 

Why can’t I just use the AC?

There are many reasons not to use air conditioning and some people just don’t have it. Air conditioning, especially older units, emits harmful chemicals into the air. This can damage the ecosystem around you and your overall air quality. 

Also, air conditioning units are energy intensive meaning they need a lot of electricity to keep them running. Constantly running your air-con means you may be using energy from unsustainable sources like fossil fuels which contribute to rising co2 levels. Not only this, but running the AC can significantly bump up the price of your energy bill, so cooling your home without it can have a positive effect on your bank balance.

If using this story, please link credit to amerisleep.com.