Many of us find it almost impossible to get to sleep when the temperature soars, and it's no wonder, as 60-65°F is the optimum bedroom temperature for a restful night's sleep. So how can you keep your bedroom - and yourself - cool when it's scorching outside?
How to Cool Your Bedroom Down
There are plenty of things you can do during the day to help your room stay cool - it's all about reducing the amount of warm air that's trapped in the room.
1. Use Fans or AC
Air conditioning units are a bit of an investment, but if you really struggle to sleep in the heat, look for a portable unit that you can set up in your bedroom. A more popular - and cheaper - alternative is to buy an electric fan instead. A fan won't necessarily lower the core temperature of your room, but by moving the air around, your bedroom will feel far less stuffy and you'll find it easier to sleep in the heat.
2. Get a Cross-Breeze Going
During the day when the sun is at its highest, leave your doors and windows open as much as possible. By promoting air flow, you'll find each of your rooms - including your bedroom - feels less hot. Just remember to clear the windowsills so flapping curtains or blinds don't knock things over, and keep an eye out for the kids (or your cat).
3. Gear Up Your Bedroom
Beds are generally very good at trapping heat when you slide into them, which is why you'll feel too hot during summer nights. Traditional memory foam stack mattresses can be super comfy at first, but they also get hot, which makes you sink in. So when we set out to build the Simba Hybrid® Mattress, it was the first problem we set out to solve. So as well as cleverly contouring comfort springs (which also act like air-flow bellows), we added a cooling layer using open-cell foam and a hypoallergenic sleep surface that supports temperature regulation.
4. Block Out the Light
It sounds counterintuitive, but pulling the curtains or blinds over your windows can stop sunlight heating up your rooms too much. You don't want to trap heat inside, either, so we recommend opting for light, semi-opaque curtains that let your room glow with sunlight, but which don't let in the full force of the sun.
5. Stop Using Gadgets
Your gadgets may be small and innocent looking, but one of the most effective ways to cool a room is to turn off every single electronic you can. This especially applies to the bedroom where we often have phones, TVs, electric toothbrushes, and more plugged in. Switch off all your electronics to stop them emitting heat, as together they can build up and make quite a difference.
How to Cool Your Body
It's not always easy to prepare in advance and keep your bedroom cool. Luckily, there's another approach you can try - cooling your bed, or yourself, instead.
1. Freeze an Ice Pack
Using a hot water bottle might sound crazy but this one's backed by sleep experts. Either freeze an ice pack, or fill a plastic bottle with cold water and ice cubes and place it in your bed 30 minutes before you go to sleep. This will help bring your core body temperature down and induce sleep.
Alternatively, soak a washcloth in some cold water, wring it out and place it on pulse points like the insides of your elbows and knees, the tops of your feet and the insides of your ankles. Cooling your body down will help you sleep in the summer heat - we guarantee it.
2. Switch the Duvet
If you have a heavy duvet, consider switching it for something lighter.
You could also look for a duvet that's specifically designed to offer good temperature regulation. Natural fibers like wool are a breathable option that also wicks away moisture on sweaty nights while our Simba Hybrid® Duvet uses Stratos® technology to support heat diffusion and provide instant coolness to the touch. They also pack a super soft, breathable fill to help maintain airflow and diffuse heat.
In addition, we believe the best pillow for warmer weather is our Hybrid® design, which incorporate the fresher feel of our Stratos® technology and the same down-like, breathable fill as our duvets.
3. Turn Up the Heat
If it's too hot to sleep, you could always try making things… well, hotter. A cold shower to 'cool off' might seem like a great idea, but this will actually reduce blood flow to the skin, leading to an unintended core temperature increase. Try having a brief warm shower or bath at about 91°F. When sweat evaporates off our skin it has a cooling effect and can increase the amount of heat lost from the body by up to 10 times.
4. Eat Smart
Scrap carbohydrate-heavy meals and swap them for lighter foods such as salmon, spinach and watermelon which all have sleep inducing properties. Too much carbohydrate will continue to be digested by the body and increase our internal temperature. We teamed up with expert nutritionists to create scientifically charged meals for the perfect night's sleep. Check out our blog for recipes.
5. Know Your Materials
Your pillows and bedding can join your comforter in helping keep your temperature stable. Bamboo, silk, cotton and other breathable linens can keep things breezy - the perfect complement for our height-adjustable Simba Hybrid® Pillows, which also use Stratos™ temperature regulation and that clever heat-dissipating fill. Well, you can't get too much of a good thing, right?
Choosing to wear cooler pajamas can help you sleep in the heat too. Opt for the same breathable materials that you want in your bed. Or you could just...
6. Sleep Naked
That's right! Skip the pajama drama altogether by sleeping nude to stay cool at night. It's not for everybody, but if you feel really warm, you might find it helps a lot. You can read more about the virtues of sleeping pajama-free on our blog.
