Keep cool while sleeping.

When the temperatures rise and sweat starts pouring down your back, it's hard to get the full 7 to 8 hours of sleep you need. Your body needs to maintain a lower temperature at night to reach the deepest levels of sleep. That can be hard to do if you’re fighting soaring temperatures. Air-conditioning would be ideal, but if that's not an option for you, there are still things you can do to keep from sticking to the sheets at night.

Open the Windows and Doors

Once the temperature starts to drop outside, you should open your windows and doors to circulate air through the house. Make sure you've got screens on your windows and doors to prevent unwanted insect visitors. Turn on your bathroom fan to help suck air through the windows.

As the temperature outside continues to drop at night, so to will the temperature inside your home. Sleeping with the windows and doors open has been shown to help you sleep better.

Turn on the Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fans work wonders when it comes to moving air through the bedroom. Moving air helps evaporate moisture from your skin, cooling your body. Some fans can turn their blades in two directions so they can either blow air back down to the floor or pull air up towards the ceiling. You can use the ceiling fan to help suck air in through the windows or use it to blow warm air back towards the floor in the wintertime.

If you’re worried about how a ceiling fan will look in your bedroom, designs have come a long way with some mimicking airplane propellers and others using reclaimed lumber.

Use Fans Wisely

If the ceiling fan isn't enough to cool your bedroom, you can make the most of a table or freestanding fan by making an old-fashioned air conditioner. Fill a bowl with ice and place it directly in front of the fan. The fan will blow the cool air from above the ice through the bedroom. As the ice melts, you can refill the bowl and keep the cold air moving.

Fans can also be used to remove warm air from your bedroom. Instead of blowing cool air into the room from outside, turn the box fan around and so it pushes hot air out of the window. When used in conjunction with the ceiling fan, you can move a lot of air in a short amount of time

Your Mattress and Pillow

Some mattresses trap heat against your body more than others. Memory foam, for example, adjusts to the curves of your body and keeps heat and moisture against your skin. If you’re not ready to get rid of your memory foam mattress, you can opt for a cooling mattress topper that’s designed for breathability and comfort. Check mattress reviews to see which ones are highly rated for comfort in warmer weather. Pillows also come in cooling designs made with moisture-wicking material for better breathability.

Written by
Mary Lee
Researcher
https://www.tuck.com/

More Helpful Links for A Good Nights Sleep

7 to 8 Hours: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/abou...
Lower Temperature: https://www.researchgate.net/p...
Open Windows & Doors: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.co...
Mattress Reviews: https://www.tuck.com/best-mattress-reviews

Tuck Sleep is a community devoted to improving sleep hygiene, health and wellness through the creation and dissemination of comprehensive, unbiased, free web-based resources. Tuck has been featured on NPR, Lifehacker, Radiolab and is referenced by many colleges/universities and sleep organizations across the web.
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