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Once temperatures hit a certain level, a restful night’s sleep becomes increasingly difficult – we toss and turn, wake up at random times and flip our duvets and pillows incessantly throughout the night, just to get comfortable.
“Even being slightly outside of the key temperature range of 15-23°C [59-73°F] can make us more likely to wake up during the night and therefore reduce the amount of REM and slow-wave sleep we have, leaving us feeling fatigued,” shares Dr Hana Patel, an NHS GP and resident sleep expert at online retailer Time4Sleep.
No reason to sweat it, though. Thankfully, there are a number of solutions available to those plagued by weather-induced insomnia – and one involves a simple bedding color switch.
To keep your cool at night, Dr Patel recommends opting for light-coloured bedsheets instead of dark ones.
“If your bedroom gets a lot of sunlight in the summer, dark bedsheets can absorb more heat, and release this at night, resulting in a less comfortable sleep,” she explains.
“Lighter colors like white and beige tend to reflect sunlight better, so they typically stay cooler if your bed is in direct sunlight.”
What’s more, according to Dr Patel, there’s evidence that shows that bright colors can have a negative effect on our sleep because they overstimulate us and influence the perception of light in a room.
“Red for example, is considered a high energy and stimulating color, and it can become quite intrusive in your bedroom, so I would generally avoid choosing it for bedsheets. Dim, muted tones help to minimize overstimulation, supporting the body’s natural sleep rhythms,” she notes.
4 additional tips for better sleep over summer
Want to really cool things off? Dr Patel shares four additional tips to try for a good night’s sleep during summer:
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Use lighter bedding: Swap your duvet out for a blanket or even just a flat cotton sheet for blistering nights. Tight for space? Dr Patel recommends vacuum-packing winter sheets so they take up less room.
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Freeze your sheets: If you have room left, pop your sheets in the freezer for 30 minutes and enjoy “a cold snap as you get into bed,” says Dr Patel. Put them in a sealable plastic bag so they don’t get wet.
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Stick to your rhythm: It might be tempting to get up earlier and go to bed later to escape the heat, but Dr Patel advises against this as it could further mess with your sleep routine. Avoid daytime naps and use curtains or blinds to block out the light if needed.
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Watch what you eat: Particularly spicy, oily and fried food can result in a raised body temperature. “Your body has to work harder to digest spicy food, which means it is less able to focus on relaxing for sleep,” says Dr Patel. Also, keep evening snacks slight as heavy meals could disrupt sleep further.
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