My hot water bottle is a must in winter, taking the chill out of my sheets so climbing into bed isn’t like crawling into an ice box. But during summer, it sits gathering dust. I’d never dream of using a hot water bottle in a heatwave.
Until I was informed people were putting their hot water bottles in the freezer and taking the resulting ice pack to bed with them.
I was excited to give this cooling sleep hack a go before being politely warned that it might be a bad idea — freezing your hot water bottle can damage it.
So I tried a cooling water compromise and now my hot water bottle might become a year-round bed partner.
Don’t freeze your hot water bottle, it’s not as cool as it sounds
Instead of the cooling and convenient ice pack you’ve been dreaming of, freezing a hot water bottle can have potentially dangerous consequences.
Hot water bottles aren’t designed for the freezer and the extreme cool weakens the rubber casing, making it more liable to breaks and tears.
I’ve had a hot water bottle explode on me before and it’s an uncomfortable and very confusing experience (no one wants to wake up wondering why their feet are wet.)
Luckily for me, by the time the leaking started the water had already cooled to lukewarm.
However, you can risk scalding yourself if the hot water bottle breaks shortly after being filled.
So avoid the freezer. But that doesn’t mean your hot water bottle can’t help you out in a heatwave.
Fill your hot water bottle with cold water
It seems obvious now but rather than filling your hot water bottle with, well, hot water, try using cold water instead.
First, I removed the cover. My hot water bottle has a fluffy, penguin-patterned cover that while looking cool (in every sense of the word) is unlikely to aid my quest for cooler sleep.
Next, I waited for the water from the faucet to run to icy cold and filled the bottle up.
Then when I went to bed I placed the cold-hot water bottle at the foot of the mattress, lightly tucked under a top sheet.
The bottle felt pleasantly chill, not freezing, against my legs, helping lower the temperature of my entire body.
Cool rubber is a slightly odd feeling (I kept thinking of jellyfish) but after a couple of minutes I stopped overthinking it and just started enjoying the chill sensation.
I’d expected the water to warm up quickly but that didn’t happen in the time it took me to fall asleep (I expect a different experience if I held it closer to my core.)
And because I felt a more comfortable temperature, even in a stuffy room, I drifted off in no time.
As this hack is so easy — the hardest part was finding my hot water bottle — I’ll be trying it throughout the summer.
3 more cooling alternatives
Looking for more ways to sleep cool this summer? Try these hacks (with or without a hot water bottler.)
1. Take a warm bath or shower before bed
Showering before bed warms your core temperature, which might seem like the worst thing in a heatwave.
However, when you step out of the bathroom your body temperature drops, cooling you down right before you get into bed and leaving you at the perfect temperature for sleep.
A member of my team swears by a warm, lavender scented bath before bed even in summer, finding it helps her feel calm and cool. And if you’re an allergy-sufferer, a quick wash means you won’t take pollen to bed with you.
2. Create DIY air conditioning
If you’re trying to sleep in the heat in a building without AC you can create your own air con using a fan and a bowl of ice.
Place the fan so that it faces towards your bed. Fill a bowl with ice and put it in front of the fan. When the fan is turned on it will blow air over the ice, sending a chill blast in your direction.
You can also keep your room cooler overall by practicing the caveman method; close your blinds and windows during the day to keep warm air out.
3. Put your clothes back on
No one wants to layer up in the summer but don’t sleep naked if you’re trying to beat the heat.
During a heatwave you’re going to sweat in your sleep, as your body tries to cool down. If you’re naked, those sweat droplets have nowhere to go but stick to your skin, evaporating slowly. This can make you feel warmer.
A pair of (light, breathable) pajamas, however, will soak up the sweat. The sweat wicking effect will make you feel cooler.
And speaking of light and breathable, consider switching your bedding for natural materials or cooling fabrics.
For very hot sleepers (who experience night sweats frequently), we recommend investing in one of the best cooling mattresses, to help you stay at the right temperature weather it’s a heatwave or a cold snap.