In a previous article, we found out that rising ambient temperatures caused by global warming are reducing the number of hours of sleep for people around the world. This negatively affects health and productivity, as lack of sleep harms the entire human body.
The quality of sleep is reduced during periods of warm weather, it is a fact, and restful sleep sometimes seems impossible due to unbearable temperatures.
As promised, this time I have prepared for you some life hacks that will help you sleep well during the hot summer nights:
1. To fall asleep quickly in the evening, prepare for this in the morning
Lower the blinds, draw the curtains, and leave the windows closed—only in the evening they should be left wide open. Any plants in the bedroom are uninvited guests: during the day they produce oxygen, and at night they absorb it. And the less equipment by the bed (with the exception of a battery-powered alarm clock), the better, experts emphasize.
2. Don't eat heavy food
What you eat during the day also affects the quality of sleep. Therefore, on especially hot days, it is better not to overeat and choose light food so that the body does not have to digest the food eaten hard and produce additional energy.
Scientists have determined that those who eat a small portion of the “right food” three hours before bedtime fall asleep faster. Light meals high in protein (chicken, cashew nuts, oatmeal) contain the important amino acid tryptophan. And contributes to the production of the “hormone of happiness” – serotonin. The mood rises, the nerves calm down, and you begin to fall asleep …
3. Don't drink alcohol
When you "mix" alcoholic drinks and hot weather – you can forget about sleep. The body is dehydrated, and it is extremely difficult to sleep in this state.
Daily allowed half a glass of healthy red wine in the summer, doctors suggest replacing it with a more hypnotic drink. It turned out to be the juice of the ordinary cherry. It is able to raise the level of sleep hormone melatonin in the body by as much as 15 percent. Moreover, sleep then lasts almost half an hour longer, experts promise.
4. Relieve fatigue and stress before going to bed
For example, massage will help to do this. However, there are quite simple exercises, referring to the lower jaw – a muscle that is in constant tension. Before going to bed, it is advisable to open your mouth wide (as far as possible), then close it again. Do this exercise 10 times – and you will fall asleep like a baby.
5. Take a cool shower
To sleep well, you need to lower your core body temperature. To do this, take a long cool shower or bath. In the process, you will also get rid of the sweat and fat accumulated during the day, and this will allow the skin to breathe better.
6. Break up with the pillow
Experts suggest giving up pillows and blankets. It is better to slightly raise the head of the bed, cover yourself with a sheet or a light coverlet and sleep on your side.
7. Cool down the bed
Put a couple of plastic water bottles in the freezer and place them on your bed a few minutes before bed. When you go to bed, there will be a feeling that everything is in the ice.
8. Choose the right fabric
It is better to forget about blankets made of satin, polyester and silk until the very winter. In summer, it is better to cover yourself with a lighter and more breathable fabric. Cotton is ideal: under a blanket made of it, you definitely won’t get too hot.
9. Don't sleep completely naked
Sleep in something light and breathable. For example, in cotton clothes. So your sweat will not remain on the body and you will not experience discomfort.
10. Sleep on the floor
Try to position your bed as low as possible to the floor. If you live in a two-story house, then move to the first floor. The thing is, the closer you are to the ground, the more effective your fight against heat is: the hot air collects at the top.
11. Choose the right sleeping position
If you sleep alone, try not to let your arms and legs touch each other.
Soak your feet in a basin of cold water before going to bed. So you can control the temperature of your entire body. Leave a bowl of water near the bed so that during a hot or stuffy night you can repeat this procedure.