Television and general practitioner of the British NHS health system, Dr. Punam Krishan explained four simple steps that can help you fall asleep and stay asleep during the heat. The newspaper informs about it.
“Cooling down when trying to sleep in the summer months can seem like an impossible task, as our bodies need a cooler temperature to rest better. As the heat rises to the upper floors of the house, create comfort before bed on a warm evening can be challenging,” said Dr. Punam.
“The fan doesn’t actually lower the temperature in the room. It works by circulating air around your skin, helping sweat evaporate more efficiently and allowing your body to lose heat. “During warm weather this may improve comfort and help some people feel cooler at night, although in very extreme heat the fan alone may be less effective and additional cooling measures may be required,” she noted.
So while methods such as opening windows and using electric fans to reduce room temperature are common knowledge, it’s important to focus on cooling the body itself as well. This is especially necessary for seniors, who often sleep more easily and perceive heat more intensely, as the regulation of body temperature becomes less effective with age.
Getting ready for sleep on hot days actually has to start before you even get into bed. A lukewarm shower 1 to 2 hours before bed works wonders as it draws warm blood from the core of the body towards the skin, where the heat is naturally dissipated into the air as the water evaporates.
It is also important to follow the drinking regimen throughout the day, as dehydration prevents proper functioning the body’s natural cooling system. It can cause your body to retain fluids by reducing your sweating rate, which means your body temperature can rise.
Worryingly, given the benefits of water in keeping you cool, research has found that 1 in 4 older people in the UK suffer from dehydration due to low fluid intake. The doctor recommends always have water by your bed and drink a little before bed, especially for older people, whose thirst naturally decreases with age.
Alcohol, on the other hand, raises your body’s core temperature, which likely contributes to discomfort and increases the chances of interrupted sleep. That’s why they recommend leaving at least 3 to 4 hours between your last alcoholic drink and the time you go to bed.
To cool down your body temperature once you’re in bed, he recommends one of the simplest things: sleep with your wrists, ankles and neck outside the covers and use a thin cotton sheet. This is because the blood vessels in these areas are close to the surface of the skin, so they need air access to quickly dissipate heat.
