As the UK's heatwave continues, many people are struggling to sleep in the hot weather - but there are a few simple tricks that may help you drift off12:26, 26 Jun 2026Updated 12:27, 26 Jun 2026Brits nationwide are battling to get a decent night's sleep as the UK's current heatwave drags on for another day. The scorching conditions, caused by a 'heat dome' according to the Met Office, have delivered blazing daytime highs approaching 40C and left temperatures hovering around 25C overnight.‌During hot weather, many struggle to nod off because the body needs to lower its core temperature by roughly 1C to 1.5C to initiate and maintain deep sleep. When both temperature and humidity are elevated, this natural cooling process fails to occur, leaving people feeling restless and waking repeatedly.‌With unprecedented nocturnal heat and humidity making sleep elusive, millions are searching for ways to reduce indoor heat and stay cool through the night. Health professionals say our bodies genuinely find it challenging to drift off when conditions are warm, as we require our core temperature to fall in order to doze off.‌Dr Deborah Lee, a health expert from Doctor Fox teaming up with Comfybeds, has revealed five unusual techniques for falling asleep in the heat without relying on a fan. One approach she suggests is straightforward and requires just a pair of socks.Dr Deborah Lee (MB ChB, FFSRH, MFFP, MRCGP, DRCOG, Dip GUM, Dip Colp, LOC Med Ed) is a sexual and reproductive health specialist. Having spent years in the NHS, she now works as a health and medical writer, reports the Express.‌The health expert is urging people to put socks in the freezer right now, ahead of this evening, so they are ready and waiting for another sweltering night. Explaining her reasoning, she said: "This is an extremely strange one, but definitely hear me out."Wearing a pair of slightly damp cotton socks to bed can help us bring our core body temperature down through a process called evaporative cooling. Put your wet socks in the freezer right now so that they get nice and cool by tonight."Our feet play a huge part in helping our body's temperature regulate, so keeping them cool is vital and has a knock on effect on the whole body. Rinse the socks out under the tap, wring them up so they're not dripping and pop them on before bedtime."‌Content cannot be displayed without consentThe health expert also shares another handy tip for getting a better night's kip in the heat, which she describes as "sleeping like an Egyptian". She claims: "This one has been used for centuries, and there's a good reason people are still doing this today."The Egyptian method involves soaking a large towel in cool water, wringing it out and then hanging it either in your doorway or your bedroom window. As the hot air passes through, the cold towel will change this to cold air, working in a similar way that air conditioning works but without the hefty electricity bill. It won't drop the temperature a lot, but it'll make enough of a difference to your body that it'll finally drift off."‌She also suggests trying the "cold water bottle" trick. "The 'cold water bottle' trick isn't just taking a cold bottle of water to bed to sip on, it's a method many people do to cool down their bed before getting into it," she explained."Fill your hot water bottle up with cold water and put it in the freezer for around 15-minutes before bed, and you'll be getting into bed with cool linen rather than a dreaded heat trap. It's a simple swap that makes a genuinely big difference."Article continues belowDr Deborah Lee also says closing everything helps. She said: "This is an absolute must-do throughout the day in all rooms but especially the bedrooms. Curtains, blinds and even windows are recommended to be kept closed as much as possible."It may not seem like it, but more often than not inside your house will be the coolest place to be. Keep the warm air and sunlight out of your kids’ rooms at least until the sun goes down, then look to let some fresh air in."