Tossing and turning on warm sheets in the middle of the night is worse than your worst nightmares. The feeling of discomfort and uneasiness are sure to rob you of a good night’s sleep.
Your body temperature dips at night, about half a degree, as part of its natural rhythm. A cooler environment is necessary to complement the drop in temperature. But this summer, things get a little trickier. Days are getting hotter, and even nights are getting warmer. Blame climate change all you want, but the struggle for a cool and comfortable slumber is becoming more and more real every night.
Here are common sleep problems during the summer, and how to beat them.
So hot in here
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During summer, your bedroom can make you feel like you stepped into a sauna. It’s warm and humid. Even the bed is warm. The best thing to do is to block out the sun and keep the blinds closed during the day for a more refreshing summer sleep during the night. Crank up the air-conditioning minutes before you actually want to rest.
Fighting the sticky feeling
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Humidity levels rise during summer. A humid room causes sweat to accumulate on your skin, making you feel sticky. Fight this icky feeling with a dehumidifier that can squeeze the moisture out from the air. It would also help to take a warm bath before bed. When you get out of the shower and your body temperature is higher than the temperature of the room, your body would naturally experience a dip in temperature.
Was this bed fresh off the oven?
During summer, you long for nights when you can sleep on a bed that feels so cushiony and so cool on your skin. Make that a reality with a mattress that uses a cooling technology. The Uratex Airlite Foam Collection features mattresses that were formulated with Sleep Cool Technology, which uses open-cell foam to effectively let air flow freely. Side panels also use a 3D spacer fabric for added breathability.
Photo courtesy of Uratex[/caption]Apart from helping you feel refreshed, these mattresses also offer optimum support. The Uratex Airlite Breeze uses a foam that responds to your body’s movements and distributes pressure evenly. The Uratex Airlite Wind has an egg crate texture on top that is ideal to prevent bed sores, while the Uratex Airlite Zephyr and Uratex Airlite Cool deliver medium-firm feel for better support and even distribution of pressure. If you can’t afford a mattress, the Uratex Airlite Futon is a great alternative. It is a lightweight, foldable mattress ideal for limited spaces.
Can’t keep a cool head
Insomniacs are often advised to wear a cooling brain cap for them to fall asleep faster. This is believed to slow down the metabolism in the front of the brain, which otherwise is overactive, keeping you from dozing off.
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During summer, it’s much harder to keep a cool head because days are longer and you’re exposed to the heat for a longer period of time. Apart from this, the warm room and humid air can also increase discomfort. No need for a cooling cap, as that may be too extreme for you. It is best to get a pillow that would help you keep feeling cool throughout the night. The Uratex Airlite Pillow uses an open-cell foam to let air flow freely. Its side panels use a 3D spacer fabric, while the main panels are covered with soft, knitted fabric for added breathability.
Sweaty sheets
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On summer nights, tangled and sweaty sheets can keep you up. They’re sticky and very uncomfortable. The easiest way to address this is to cool your room, but it would also help if you would wear lightweight pajamas made of natural fibers. While some would rather sleep naked, that is not very ideal. This is because you perspire, making the sheets sticky.
Beating a vacation lag
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It’s summer, and naturally you will be having beach holidays and trips out of town or out of the country. While a break from work is meant to recharge you, they could also be physically and mentally draining with all the planning, driving, walking, etc. Trips outside the country are even more challenging to recover from given the shift in time zones and jet lags.
Sleep disruption for a few days may be avoided by keeping your body on your home time zone whenever possible. Make your re-entry into your normal life easier by doing your routines and usual schedules. Essential oils may also help you to fall asleep faster.
Too much party booze
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Alcohol intake before bedtime may trick your mind to sleep faster, but chances are that your sleep will be disrupted because alcohol has an alerting effect.
In an article, Dr. Amy Wechsler advised the 1:1 method. That’s a glass of water for every drink of alcohol to keep you hydrated, as well as to pace yourself. And ultimately, learn how to balance self-care with social activities. Give your body some time to wind down.
Silence, please
Noise makes it harder for the mind to relax. But that’s going to be a problem when you have a neighbor who hosts summer house parties every night, or live near a busy street.
Among the solutions you can do is to insulate your thin walls to block out noise, or you may also place blockers such as pillows and towels against cracks in your wall. You may also rearrange your furniture and move your bed farthest from the noise. It would also help if you can trick your mind to focus on something else with meditation and visualization. Deep breathing exercises might also help.
Don’t compromise a good night’s summer sleep because of these disruptions and discomforts. Make adjustments and stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule as much as you can. Nothing beats the summer heat like a few tricks up your sleeve.