Getting a good night's sleep is essential for maintaining productivity and overall health. Feeling hot while sleeping is a common problem that can lead to restlessness or sleep deprivation. By following some of these tips and tricks, you will be able to keep your body cool and sleep well throughout the night.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Setting Bedroom Conditions
Step 1. Set the thermostat
Setting the thermostat at a cooler temperature at night can lower the overall temperature of the room, thus keeping the body cool while sleeping. Some types of digital thermostats can be set to automatically change to a certain temperature at a certain hour, while other types remain at the same set temperature. Try lowering or changing the temperature setting of the thermostat for the night so that the house is as cool as a comfortable temperature for you to sleep. If it's still too hot while sleeping, try lowering the thermostat one degree lower at a time until you find a temperature that's most comfortable for you.
If you use an automatic thermostat, don't forget to set it to automatically change to a warmer temperature right before you wake up in the morning
Step 2. Make the air circulate
If the air in the room is not moving, you may overheat while sleeping. Install a floor or ceiling fan in the bedroom. The fan can make the air in the room circulate so as to prevent you from overheating while sleeping.
- This method is especially useful if a housemate or family member likes cooler night temperatures than you prefer. With this method, your room can get to your preferred temperature without the need to change the temperature of the entire house or apartment. This method is also a bit more economical as the fan is likely to use up less energy than running the air conditioner all night.
- To make it more profitable, hold the fan close to the bed so you can feel the cool air circulating in the room. This method is most effective when done with two fans, each in a different window. Direct one fan into the room and the other fan outside. Thus, a circulation system is formed that constantly replaces hot air with cool air.
Step 3. Make a small air conditioner
Even if there is air conditioning in the house/apartment, you may still want some extra air conditioning. Also, if a housemate or family member complains about changes in the overall temperature of the house, this is a great way to cool a local area without affecting the temperature of the house/apartment as a whole. Take a small bowl or pot, fill it with ice cubes, then place it in front of a table fan/small box. Blowing air from the fan will make the cold mist from the ice cubes circulate so that the room and also your body become cool.
Step 4. Change the blanket
If you use the same blanket all year, reconsider. If you wake up hot, the blanket you use may be too thick and trap heat in the bed. While they are great for use in very cold weather, thick blankets are designed to keep you warm, and may not be suitable if you overheat easily. Try replacing thick blankets with lighter, lighter ones, such as cotton fabrics. If it's still hot, just sleep without a blanket.
Step 5. Change the sheets
Just like blankets, bed sheets can also affect sleep comfort. Sheets made of flannel or satin are impermeable to airflow so heat is trapped in the bed and causes the body to overheat. Replace with sheets made of cotton. Cotton sheets allow more air to reach the skin, helping to keep the body cool throughout the night.
If it's still hot even after using cotton sheets, try putting them in the fridge/freezer a few hours before bed. Take the sheets out of the fridge/freezer and put them on the mattress right before you lay down to sleep. The sheets will feel cool and comfortable and keep the body cool while sleeping
Step 6. Change the pillow
Pillows that contain down feathers (fowl feathers) trap heat around the head, causing the whole body to overheat. Replace the down pillow with another type, such as a pillow containing buckwheat. Buckwheat pillows are a little less comfortable, but allow airflow to reach your head during sleep.
If you can't change pillows, try storing pillowcases in the freezer before bed. Flip the pillow when you wake up in the middle of the night to use the cooler side
Method 2 of 2: Changing Habits
Step 1. Consider sleepwear
It is important to consider not only the amount but also the type of fabric of clothing worn to sleep. Some types of fabric, such as cotton, allow more airflow than others, such as polyester or lycra. If the fabric type of clothing does not allow air flow, heat can be trapped and keep the body warm throughout the night. Try wearing loose pajamas made of cotton. Loose cotton pajamas allow air to reach the skin thereby lowering body temperature while sleeping.
You can also sleep naked. Thus, the skin is very susceptible to airflow during sleep. There are some people who believe that sleeping with clothes on is actually more effective because the fabric of the clothes absorbs the moisture that builds up on the skin during sleep. However, most people believe sleeping naked can indeed help keep the body cool
Step 2. Drink cold water
To help cool your body temperature before bed, drink about 240 ml of cold water. This method hydrates and lowers your body temperature, especially if you tend to sweat during sleep. In addition, also prepare a glass / bottle of water by the bed. That way, if you wake up feeling very hot, you can drink some cooling water and lower your body temperature so you can get back to sleep.
Don't drink too much water before bed so you can sleep through the night without being interrupted by having to go to the bathroom
Step 3. Take a cold shower
When getting ready for bed, take a shower to lower your body temperature. Start bathing with slightly warm water, then lower the water temperature little by little. Do not let the water temperature becomes colder than lukewarm. We really want to lower our body temperature. However, if you take a shower immediately with cold water, your body temperature will actually increase, instead of decreasing, because the body is trying to cope with the cold temperature of the bath water.
Step 4. Sleep in a hammock
While the ideal sleep is on a mattress, if you find yourself getting too hot, try sleeping in a hammock. The mesh on the hammock increases airflow to the skin thereby lowering body temperature while sleeping. Hammocks are usually closer to the floor than most types of beds so you are away from the hot air rising higher up in the apartment/house.
Although not as comfortable as a mattress, a cot can also be used if the nights are very hot. The effect of airflow when using a hammock also occurs in the cot. What's more, the surface of the bed is very close to the floor, where the coldest air in the room is
Step 5. Eat small dinners
If you eat a large dinner, your metabolism has to work harder to digest the food. This causes the body temperature to increase along because the body will still digest food. Try to eat small portions or vegetables and fruits rather than large portions, fat, or protein. This way the body does not need to digest too much food so that the body temperature can be cooler while sleeping.
Step 6. Sleep without touching
Whether sleeping alone or with someone, skin-to-skin contact can cause a rise in body temperature. If you sleep alone, try to sleep on your back with your arms and legs wide apart. Thus, the skin gets as much air as possible on all sides of the body. If you're sleeping with your partner, don't cuddle while you sleep, as this can cause your body temperature to rise, especially if you both tend to overheat at night.
Step 7. Use a cold compress
Just like using a hot water bottle in winter, try using a cold compress or a frozen water bottle at bedtime. If there are parts of your body that heat up faster than other parts of your body, place a cold compress on them while you sleep.
- Apply cold compresses to pulse points on the ankles, wrists, neck, elbows, genital area, and behind the knees. This method can reduce body temperature and reduce heart rate that increases when the body is hot.
- You can also fill a sock or sack with rice and store it in the freezer an hour before bed. The rice will stay cold throughout the night and work the same way as a frozen bottle.
