Depending on where we live and whether or not we have an air conditioner handy, the night heat It can be more or less bearable. Be that as it may, there are different actions that we can carry out to sleep better in hot weather and for this to be of quality throughout the night.
People have a body temperature regulator that can be altered when it is hot at bedtime. The ideal temperature of the ideal bedroom for sleeping is about 18.3ºC (degrees above, degrees below). When the temperature is much higher we start tossing and turning in bed and can’t fall asleep. What can we do to sleep better when it is very hot?
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Tips for sleeping better in hot weather
Melatonin: the sleep hormone
Our body anticipates sleep by generating a hormone called melatonin which produces the drop in core body temperature needed for sleep. When the ambient temperature is too high, this process takes more time, making it difficult to fall asleep and increasing the chances of waking up in the middle of the night.
In winter, nights are longer and temperatures are cooler, which helps melatonin better regulate the natural sleep cycle. Due to its vital importance in sleep, a deregulation of this hormone or its low levels will affect our sleep.
In situations of great stress or the impossibility of sleeping due to heat or other circumstances, we can consume a melatonin supplement. this supplement does not generate dependency or have side effectsbeyond a possible headache if we exceed the dose recommended by the manufacturer.
What you eat influences
There are foods that improve our rest and others that make it worse. Two are the main to take into account: coffee and alcohol. Caffeine can do its thing on the hottest nights as it inhibits adenosine, one of the main regulators of sleep.
Alcohol, for its part, hampers our body’s ability to regulate its temperature, while at the same time making sleeping increase the chances of waking up in the middle of the night.
Instead we can benefit from some foods that can help us fall asleep: nuts, milk, poultry (turkey and chicken), fruit (bananas and kiwi), whole grains (oatmeal), or eggs. All of them are rich in melatonin or tryptophan, which will help us fall asleep.
A shower before bed
Physical exercise during the day will help us fall asleep at night. However, do it close to bedtime can raise body temperaturemaking it more complicated for it to drop to the right levels to be able to sleep well.
What if I take a shower? The warm showers a while before bed they can help the body cool down with contrast when you get out of the shower. In addition, the hot bath implies a feeling of relaxation.
Control the room temperature
We have already commented that the ideal temperature of the ideal bedroom to sleep is about 18.3ºC. The high temperatures of the day can make the room too hot, especially if the room receives direct solar radiation.
The simplest thing is to program our air conditioning at a temperature that we consider comfortable, but if we do not have this tool, we can carry out some actions that will help us maintain a suitable bedroom temperature.
Lower the blinds and close the curtains for the day and do not move them until it is time to sleep. At night, if you don’t have air conditioning, open the windows in the bedroom and others such as the kitchen or living room to generate a flow of air that serves as a natural fan.
If you have the possibility of locating the bedroom in a basement or in a room of the house where the sun does not shine during the day, the temperature of said room will also be lower. That is one of the premises of sustainable architecture: take advantage of solar radiation during the day in the living room and kitchen, and avoid it in bedrooms.
Some unusual but effective recommendations
Chritabel Majendie is a sleep expert who in an interview for Healhline commented that sleeping low to the ground is cooler, so it would not be a bad idea to put the mattress on the floor. Sleeping in the Japanese style, with a futon can have a compelling reason in summer.
The pillowcases can be put in the freezer during the day to cool off at night. It may be an unusual recommendation, but the Sleep Foundation proposes it as an effective tool on hot nights.
Suitable pajamas and bedding
Two options are key to comfort on hot nights: sleep naked on natural fibers, not synthetic. Breathable natural fibers such as cotton, linen or wool will be a better option than other synthetic ones such as polyester, due to their breathability.
Some studies confirm that temperature regulation is more favorable by means of breathable natural fiberss than with the use of synthetic fibers. They can be used even more if we sleep naked, thus avoiding more materials that can interfere with heat dissipation.
Is sequence of events it can sound to you: you are going to sleep; Do not fall asleep; you start to think about why you don’t fall asleep; you toss and turn more and more in bed; you pick up the mobile or turn on the television; you try to go back to sleep and the whole cycle starts all over again.
To avoid this loop that often occurs, we can meditate before going to sleep or when we see that we cannot fall asleep. Meditation helps us in two ways: it relaxes us and distances us from other options that stimulate us instead of relaxing
A book can help us fall asleep, social networks like Tik Tok help us stay awake. These social networks have stimuli that hook us and make us want more. Instead, meditate before bed or when we can not fall asleep It will relax us and prevent us from entering an infinite loop of insomnia – stress.
Avoid screens and blue light in the hours before bed
This recommendation is not exclusive for hot weather, but it does take on more importance at times when sleeping becomes more complicated. The light emitted by mobile devices penetrates through the eyes and makes us believe that it is daytime.
Our body differentiates day and night to activate us or to relax. Having a lot of light in the room and the use of the mobile make it extremely difficult mechanisms such as the release of melatonin discussed above.
There are options like program the mobile to emit orange lightmore similar to sunset than blue light, although the best option will be to reduce the light in the room to a minimum, thus helping our brain to see that it is already night and it must prepare to sleep.
In Vitónica | How to sleep when the heat wave hits and you don’t have air conditioning: six tips to improve your sleep
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