We get it. By now you’re sick of sweaty nights spent tossing and turning, stressing about the lack of sleep you’re getting thanks to the melt-inducing temps. So we’ve asked sleep experts for the hacks that actually work to cool you down in a heatwave – plus the ones to avoid.
“If, like me, you don’t have air conditioning, then you have to plan carefully for a better night’s sleep during a heatwave,” says Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford.
It involves a multi-pronged approach, Foster explains, making strategic moves earlier in the day, into the evening, and tweaks to both your bedroom setup and sleep hygiene routine.
Keep curtains and blinds drawn and windows closed during the day
“We keep curtains drawn and windows shut during the day,” Foster says. “Then, when it starts to cool in the evening we open the French doors at the back of the house, the front door, and windows on the upper floors. This draws-in cooler air into and then up through the house. We also avoid the sun during the day to prevent sunburn and hot and painful skin when trying to get to sleep at night.”
