In many parts of the world, people are accustomed to living, working, and sleeping in a hot climate. For the rest of us who have to deal with changing seasons and heatwaves, it can be difficult to get comfortable. This makes getting a full night of restful sleep much harder as you’re trying not to suffocate in your own bed.

A lack of sleep can be damaging to our physical and mental health, causing irritation, headaches, brain fog, and exhaustion. Not to worry, though; there are quite a few steps you can take to get better sleep in the heat, whether you are generally a good sleeper or not. In this article, we’ve assembled the top advice for and solutions on how to stay cool at night in bed.

Tricks on how to keep cool and well-rested in the hot weather

According to the research, ideal sleep temperature ranges from 60 to 67° F (15 to 19° C). It’s not only the perfect temperature for preventing you from waking up in the middle of the night because you are soaking wet from sweat or your feet are too cold. A 60 to 67° helps a human body maintain the REM sleep cycle and ensure the needed myelin production. These are backstage processes that result in healthy, uninterrupted sweet dreams.

So,what are the easiest ways to get a good night’s sleep in the summer months?

Read also: 10 Best Gadgets for Couples with Different Body Temperatures

Take a warm shower

Taking a warm shower before bed helps to cool down your body temperature at night, which will help you cool down in bed. The simple explanation is the human anatomy: after a lukewarm shower, your body will try to cool down on its own. However, taking warm shower right before bed can be dangerous, so it’s better taking 1-1,5hr before sleep to normalize your body temperature

Open the windows, close the curtains

People who live in arid and hot climates know it’s impossible to save themselves from overheating by getting rid of the clothes. On the contrary, one should cover their body from the sunlight.

The same applies to your room. Always keep the curtains shut during the day. It takes to cool down your room after the day of the scorching sun. The best way to cool down at night is not to lower the temperature in the evening but to prevent the temperature from rising in advance, so that you have fresh air as you sleep.

Choose the right sheets

During the heatwaves, choosing the appropriate clothing is the key. The same goes for nighttime sleep. To understand how to stop getting hot at night, it is enough to follow a few simple rules. Polyester or silk sheets are great for preserving temperature, but that is not what you need for the parching summer nights.

Good-quality linen is the perfect bedding material: not only is it perfect for your skin and hair, but it is also the material that maintains the right temperature and can help to keep the temperature lower. Linen is a slightly more pricey option. A great alternative can be cotton.

Try the Egyptian method

Haven’t you heard about the Egyptian method yet? Let's dive into it together.

Essentially, the Egyptian method offers to solve the problem of the extreme heat at night by sleeping on damp sheets.

1. You can wet your sheet and run it through the dryer so that they are not soaking.

2. Make your bed with cool, damp sheets.

3. Wake up in the dry bed, feeling cool and refreshed.

Do not work in bed

What other tips do you have on how to cool down a room at night? People who like watching movies, finishing to read work assignments, or simply scrolling Facebook in bed during the day often have trouble falling asleep. It is crucial to separate work zones and rest zones of your personal space. During a long, stressful day, chilling in bed always seems tempting.

However, our brain needs to associate bed with rest and night sleep. This Pavlovian effect or classical conditioning (forming new associations through behavioral training) can help you fall asleep with ease.

Control the air temperature

All these tips will help you get a night of better sleep, and it is crucial since the heat can cause body temperature to go up.. Nevertheless, controlling the air temperature in your room is the most vital task. AC is an effective yet not always accessible and healthy option. Fans can be too loud, even though they are a good option to cool down a room without air conditioning. The ultimate solution can be both an eco-friendly and healthy option: personal air coolers. Evapolar is a silent and compact alternative to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night.

Limit physical activity before bed

Intense exercise can raise your body temperature and make it harder to sleep. Try to finish your workouts at least a few hours before you plan to go to bed.

Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water throughout the day can help your body maintain a normal temperature.

Use a cooling pillow or mattress pad

These products are designed to help dissipate heat, prevent overheating while sleeping and keep you cool throughout the night, no matter the sleeping position.

Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime

Digesting food raises your body temperature, so try to finish eating at least a few hours before bed.

Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water throughout the day can help your body maintain a normal temperature.

Use a cooling pillow or mattress pad

These products are designed to help dissipate heat, prevent overheating while sleeping and keep you cool throughout the night, no matter the sleeping position.

Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime

Digesting food raises your body temperature, so try to finish eating at least a few hours before bed.

Before discussing fans and ACs, let's start with several well-tested steps that will help you to stay cool while sleeping.

How to Keep Cool at Night and Take Care of Your Body

Heat dries out everything, including your body inside and out, and you lose a lot of fluids when you sweat. You can’t function properly when dehydrated, and although you’ll feel lethargic, the quality of your sleep will be affected negatively. Not to mention, you might wake up at night feeling thirsty. Dehydration can also make you more susceptible to heatstroke and can definitely give you a headache.

One of the keys to getting good-quality sleep during the hot season is preventing yourself from overheating. Your body will naturally lower its temperature when you go to sleep, but not so much when the air around you is hot. You can physically cool down your body before bed by taking a cool or lukewarm shower.

Unfortunately, the effects of a shower won’t last for long, so it’s good to have something cool beside you. It can be a washcloth soaked with cold water, an ice pack or a batch of ice cubes in a bowl, or even a spray bottle with cool tap water.

What to Avoid in the Heat

• Hot drinks. Stick to warm decaf teas, water, or lemonade. These don’t invigorate your body to produce more heat as hot drinks do. You might be tempted to drink iced beverages, but keep in mind the issues with the digestive system cold drinks can cause when consumed during meals (the cold can cause contracting of blood vessels restricting digestion and absorption of nutrients).

• Spicy food. If the food is hot enough, it makes your body feel hotter, causing you to sweat and lose water. In some people, spicy food can cause indigestion. If you can’t stay away from spicy food altogether, at least avoid eating it close to bedtime.

• Extensive training. Some exercise before bed can improve the quality of your sleep. That is if you take a walk in the evening or practice yoga. Strenuous activity can cause your body to heat up, and it will also energize you — not a good combo for restful sleep.

Nice bedding? Check. Blackout curtains? Check. Now that we have several techniques for cooling your body down to sleep, let’s talk about ways to effectively decrease the room temperature in the most healthy way.

How to Safely Cool Down Your Sleeping Environment

When you mention cooling and equipment, probably the first items that spring to mind are an AC unit or a fan. It will really help make your room cooler at night. While AC can cool down a room to a temperature you find comfortable, so you don't need to sleep in the heat, and a fan is good at creating a breeze, there are some considerable drawbacks to both that are important to know.

AC Unit Faults

• Health issues
  First of all, air conditioners are often associated with drafts and a runny nose. Blasting cold air can aggravate respiratory problems. Also, ACs need are prone to building up bacteria and mold (thus, they require regular filter cleaning).
• Safety concerns
  Even though it’s low-toxicity, it's hard to vouch for the long-term effects of freon, which is used as a cooling agent in many ACs. That aside, air conditioners cool down your home while heating up the outside world. The less you use them, the better it is for the environment.
• Building issues
  Some landlords might not allow you to install an AC, and would you even want to spend the money in a rented place? On the other hand, the heat may be so strong that you'd do anything to cool down.
• Noise pollution
  The sound range of air conditioners varies from 25 to around 55 decibels, which is safe for our hearing. Yet, the continuing buzz can get on your nerves with time. Not to mention, it’s also creating noise outside your home.

So, air conditioners are effective in bringing cool air into your home, but they are not very good in terms of safety and comfort. What about fans?

Read also: 12 Best Tips for Cooling a Small Room When It's Hot

Ceiling and Portable Fan Faults

• Efficiency. This is the main issue. A fan may make you feel more comfortable but can't decrease the temperature by much, if at all. Of course, there are many tricks that may help, like placing a bowl of ice cubes or a wet cloth behind a fan, yet it still simply circulates room-temperature air.
• Noise pollution. Much like air conditioners, the constant humming of a fan can get annoying as much as blowing air at yourself, adding up to that heat-induced headache you’ve probably got going on.
• Air quality. Fans dry out the air, contributing to the dehydration caused by the heat. Dry skin, a dry nose and mouth, and constant thirst are not conditions anyone would want.
• Health concerns. Fan blades collect dust, as does any other piece of furniture, but a fan’s dust is more likely to become airborne and be inhaled. This can cause eye irritation and spike allergies.

So, AC is unhealthy, and a fan is not actually cooling air. Is there another way that would satisfy all your needs?

Read more: Fans for sleeping

A More Effective — and Healthier — Alternative

If you don’t want to deal with the drawbacks of conventional climate equipment, suffering from the heat isn’t a nice option.

Evapolar is an effective and eco-friendly personal air cooler. It uses its own patented fibers in the construction of the cooler that, unlike cellulose filters in other climate equipment, don’t spread mold and bacteria. Among other benefits:

• It’s effective. Evapolar can decrease the temperature of your personal space (up to 4 m2 or 33 ft2) by 7-10 degrees Celsius (50 F) within just five minutes.
• It’s silent. Evapolar makes no more noise than a lightbulb, so you can have it running silently while you sleep. This is how you cool your body temperature at night
• It’s safe for your health. Evapolar doesn’t blow a stream of cold air at you, so your body won’t be shocked by the stark contrast in temperature.
• It’s comfortable. Evapolar is also a humidifier and purifier, so you don’t need to worry about dehydration or allergies.
• It's economic. Evapolar is affordable (less than a usual AC) and energy-efficient, so it won't bring you high utility bills.
• It's portable. Evapolar is lightweight and compact, so it can follow wherever your personal space is — move it to another room or take it to the car.

Read also: Safe Air Conditioner Alternatives for Cooling a Small Room

As Evapolar becomes more and more popular all over the world, there appear more and more copies that promise you the same quality for a lower price. We tried most of these copies, and it's a fact: they don't have anything in common with the original patented technology. They are just smaller versions of usual ACs (or even fans) that bring drafts, noise, and the smell of low-quality plastic. In contrast, Evapolar was specifically created as the most effective, healthy, and affordable way to sleep cool. And we did it well.

FAQ

Now, you are an expert on keeping cool at night! Let's sum up with a quick FAQ to ensure that the wisdom about the strategies against heat waves stays with you.

1.Why is AC bad for you?

ACs cause unwanted colds, dehydrate rooms and are hazardous for people with respiratory diseases. Also, dry air causes migraines and headaches. Is it worth it?

2. How to keep cool while sleeping without AC?

One can easily manage temperature by following these simple tips:

• Sleep on damp sheets
• Choose breathable fabrics like cotton or linen
• Keep the curtains shut during the day
• Use personal coolers that do not dry out the air.

3.Why is sleeping in a cold room good for you?

Not only is it easier to fall asleep in a cold room. The lower temperature has numerous health benefits:

• Improved metabolism
• Healthy regulation of hormone levels, for instance, melatonin
• Uninterrupted sleep prevents insomnia.

4. What is the ideal temperature for sleep?

The recommended temperature for optimal sleep is between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this can vary depending on personal preferences and external factors such as the season and climate. For some individuals, a slightly higher or lower temperature may be more comfortable for sleeping. It's important to experiment and find the best temperature that works for you.

So, stay cool during the day, and do not forget to stay cool in bed!

Wrap Up

The key to having a better night’s rest during the hot season is cooling down your body and the environment where you sleep. The best you can do is keep your room cool during the daytime by closing doors and windows. Take a lukewarm shower before sleep, and use Evapolar to safely cool air in your room while you rest.