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Tricks to sleep better even if it’s hot at night
Verano
Creating a draft, not overusing the air conditioning and choosing the right clothes is essential for sleeping in the summer
If sleeping is usually something complicated for many, during summer days it is even worse: it is never pleasant to be tossing and turning in bed without being able to sleep, and a lot but if it is added a heat that sometimes becomes unbearable. There is no magic formula to sleep pleasantly with heat, but yes, we can acquire small habits that help us alleviate the sensation and try to sleep better.
Javier Albares, medical director of the Sleep Unit of the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona and a member of the SES, knows that it is impossible to find the perfect solution («We must bear in mind that the ideal temperature for sleeping is 17 degrees. It’s hard ”), but we do have little tricks to improve the quality of your sleep as much as possible.
Beware of the air conditioning
“The first thing is to try to keep the house cool during the day, keeping the blinds down,” says the doctor. Also, at the time of going to sleep, he recommends opening the windows and doors, to create some current. If we have air conditioning, we can turn it on for a while, to cool the room.
Regarding the use of air conditioning the rest of the night, the doctor advises against it, as it can later lead to inflations of the respiratory tract and small colds. If we wanted to leave it, it cannot give us directly. We can put it, for example, in the living room, and leave the doors open to cool the whole house.
Regarding the use of fans, although it is better not to give us the air directly, it is the best option to sleep on hot days. The doctor explains that, if we put a tray with ice in front of the device, it will cool the air more.
Cotton clothes
«Also, if we have long hair it is essential to pick it up, and we must always opt for light cotton clothing. This is even better than not wearing anything, since the natural fabric will absorb perspiration », advises Javier Albares.
During the day, it is important to take care of our diet to be able to sleep better. Therefore, apart from the main recommendation to hydrate during the day, the expert recommends avoid drinking caffeinated beverages, with alcohol, or eat a very large meal at night. “If we eat very heavy, we may feel more heat at night, since this is the cause of active digestion,” he says.
Regulate body temperature
Likewise, another of the doctor’s recommendations is to take a cool shower (not cold) before going to bed, in order to regulate the body temperature a bit. “Like, if we wake up in the middle of the night with really hot weather, we can go out to take a shower, go to another room to freshen up a bit before going back to bed, “he says.
Finally, as a home trick, Javier Albares comments that there are those who put the pillowcase, or some socks, in the freezer before going to sleep, in order to fall asleep more comfortably. In the case of socks, by reducing the temperature of the feet, so does the rest of the body. Finally, if it is comfortable for us, we can spray us with a spray of water. “Anything that helps us is fine, as long as it doesn’t keep us ‘too’ cool,” recalls the professional.