I always struggle to sleep in the heat - but this sleep therapist's hack made last night so much easier
It's tempting to throw off your duvet or ditch your pyjamas, but this sleep expert says that's the last thing you should do...
Last year, when temperatures skyrocketed seemingly overnight, I really struggled to get a good night's sleep. Normally, I'm lucky. I don't have a problem drifting off in the other seasons, but with a carpeted bedroom and only a small window for breeze, I did struggle to sleep in the heat when summertime came.
This year, as soon as I spotted the bank holiday weather forecast, I knew things had to be different. I was armed with a cooling fan and a good duvet (thank you, winter sales!), but packed away the latter after I spotted advice from clinical sleep therapist and high-performance sleep coach, Natalie Pennicotte-Collier.
She says that many people focus "too heavily" on trying to cool themselves down when they get too warm, versus "helping the body maintain a stable sleep temperature throughout the night".
To get to sleep, our bodies naturally cool down by one to two degrees Celsius, triggering the release of important sleep hormones, such as melatonin.
"The body normally releases heat through the hands, feet, and skin during the evening, but when it's hot in your bedroom, the heat has nowhere to escape to," says Natalie, who also works with MattressNextDay.
That's why, even if you sleep naked or throw off your duvet, you're unlikely to get better sleep in warmer temperatures - whether that's in the UK or abroad.
"There is nothing left to absorb sweat or help heat escape properly overnight. "Removing or sleeping on top of your duvet may feel like a logical decision in a heatwave, but the problem is when you replace it with nothing," she says.
"Sleeping naked also feels logical, but moisture will simply sit on the skin, creating a clammy, humid 'microclimate' that is more likely to wake you up in the middle of the night," she says.
What should you do instead?
Moisture from sweat builds up on the skin and against the mattress overnight, when actually it needs to be absorbed and released through breathable fabrics.
"Replace your duvet with a lightweight breathable layer, instead of sleeping completely uncovered," says Natalie. Lightweight cotton or linen bedding will help absorb sweat, improve airflow, and pull heat away from the body.
If you already have linen bedding, take the duvet out of its cover and just sleep with this covering instead.
Importantly, you should also avoid opening your curtains or blinds in the day, as much as it can be tempting to let the sunlight in first thing. This keeps your bedroom cool throughout the day, so you don't have to work to cool it down.
