Need Cooling Off? 5 Tips for Sleeping Well When It’s Hot

A woman is sleeping

Normally you sleep like a rock… but on hot summer nights, do you have trouble falling asleep? We have put together some tips for you on how to sleep better when it’s hot outside and you don’t have indoor air conditioning.

A woman sleeping

1. Take advantage of the cool morning air

One of the most common tips is to open up all your windows in the morning when it’s cool and really air out the place. After the hot air has escaped, close all the windows and close the shades. If you don’t have window shades, then invest in some dark curtains to help keep the heat out.

2. Rub on some peppermint essential oil

Has it ever happened to you that the heat makes your legs feel as heavy as lead? It can be quite uncomfortable, especially when you want to sleep. Our tip: place a few drops of peppermint essential oil on your hands and massage your feet and legs. This has a wonderful cooling effect, makes your legs feel lighter and helps you drift off to sleep.
If you’re feeling really hot, then rub a little peppermint oil (make sure it’s good quality) on your temples and your neck.

Peppermint Essential Oil

3. Rinse off with lukewarm water before going to bed

The magic word here is lukewarm 😉 If you take a quick shower with icy cold water, you’ll feel refreshed for a short time. But it’ll also cause your body to produce heat. So, what’s the result? You’ll end up feeling hotter than you did before.
Before going to bed, take a lukewarm shower and, most importantly, don’t dry off. Just lie down in bed and let the thin layer of water on your skin evaporate. This will create a pleasant cooling effect 🙂

4. Hang a damp towel in your bedroom

If you don’t have a humidifier at home, you can soak a couple of hand towels in water. Wring them out well and then hang the damp towels on the radiator or a drying rack. You’ll see that they’ll make the environment in the room much more pleasant and bearable.
Note: If your bedroom is already hot, you shouldn’t use this method (because otherwise, you’ll have your own personal tropical rainforest).  

5. Eat right

Make sure to eat right during the day to help you sleep better at night (and so you don’t sweat even more on hot summer days). Eat something light like a salad for dinner and stay away from warming foods like garlic or ginger throughout the day.

What are your sleep tips for when it’s hot outside? Tell us about them in the comments below.

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Tina Sturm-Ornezeder Tina loves the written word, avocados & yoga and is very curious. She likes to discover new trends and report on them. View all posts by Tina Sturm-Ornezeder