Ah lads, this heat is taking the piss.

StormWarrior wrote: »

I want to sleep with my window open but my scumbag neighbours smoke weed in their garden all night. So I can either boil to death or choke to death.

fleet_admiral wrote: »

The people moaning about the heat will be the same folk moaning about the cold come November.

KEEP YOUR PYJAMAS ON

It seems logical that the fewer clothes we wear, the cooler we will be. But resist the temptation to strip off when the nights are hot and muggy.

According to Dr Neil Stanley, an independent sleep expert, it’s actually better to wear pyjamas — made of natural fibres. Also, remove the over-sheet, duvet or blanket.

‘The pyjama fabric draws sweat away from your body,’ he says, ‘and will make you feel a lot cooler and more comfortable.’

Some experts suggest that sleeping on your side, rather than on your back, is better because more of the body’s surface is exposed to the air and thus it gives off more heat, taking it away from your body.

HAVE A COOL SHOWER

Crucially, in order to get a good sleep, our body temperature needs to drop by half a degree celsius (almost one degree fahrenheit) from our normal waking temperature.

It may be obvious, but you can achieve this by taking a cool or lukewarm shower just before bed.

However, don’t set the temperature too cold, or the water may end up invigorating you — thus making you more restless.
Sleep well during the hot weather: Try to leave your worries outside the bedroom (file picture)
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Sleep well during the hot weather: Try to leave your worries outside the bedroom (file picture)

USE A FAN

A fan can help reduce your body temperature surprisingly quickly.

Professor Jim Horne, of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, says: ‘Direct the fan towards your face because your cheeks have the ability to release a lot of heat from your body.

However, don’t place the fan too near, otherwise you could get neuralgia — a nerve pain in your face.’

Of course, the constant whirring noise and chill draft may add to your difficulties getting to sleep, but studies have shown that using a fan on a hot night will decrease the time spent awake in bed.

CHILL YOUR SHEETS

If you ignore the advice not to use a sheet on top of you, a good idea is to fold your sheet up tightly, put it in a bag and place it in a fridge for an hour or two before bedtime — then drape it over your body.

Some people dampen the sheets before cooling them.

More drastic action is to put your pillow cases in the freezer for a short period.

‘The effect of such methods is only very temporary,’ says Dr Stanley, ‘as our bodies quickly warm up the sheets and pillow cases.’

SLEEP DOWNSTAIRS

Heat rises, so most houses tend to be cooler downstairs, especially in rooms with tiled floors.

If you can move your bed downstairs, or have a sofa-bed in the living-room, the next few nights may be a good time to abandon your upstairs room.

Otherwise, if you have a skylight or Velux, open it to encourage hot air to rise out on the roof, away from your bedroom.

AVOID ANXIETY

‘Try to leave your worries outside the bedroom,’ says Professor Horne, ‘and certainly don’t start fretting about whether you can get to sleep.’

TOASTY FEET

Many believe sticking one foot outside the sheet or duvet is a good way to cool down.

However, Professor Horne disagrees. ‘Having cold feet can disturb sleep, so make sure you keep them warm.

‘Remember — it’s the face you want to keep cool.’

USE THE SPARE ROOM

If possible, sleep in a separate bed from your partner. The human body generates the equivalent of 116 watts of heat energy an hour.

DON'T EAT TOO LATE

Having a big meal just before you turn in is one of the worst things you can do.

It means that your body is brimming with calories that generate heat. ‘Try just to have a light salad,’ suggests Dr Stanley.

Above all, eat early — not half an hour before bed — to give yourself a chance to digest the food before you lie down.

AVOID ALCOHOL

It is well known that alcohol disrupts sleep — and those negative effects are made worse when it is hot.

It slows the body’s healthy reflexes, one of which is to maintain a normal temperature.
It is well known that alcohol disrupts sleep - and those negative effects are made worse when it is hot
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It is well known that alcohol disrupts sleep - and those negative effects are made worse when it is hot

It makes blood rush to your skin, and thus gives an initial warming sensation, but takes blood from the core of your body and makes you colder.

Even so, a late-night tipple is not recommended.

Just a relatively small amount of alcohol can cause dehydration, and may mean you wake up in the night thirsty or leave you feeling unrested when you awake.

Whether you’ve drunk alcohol or not, have a glass of water on your bedside table.

DO THE DICKENS DANCE

When the author Charles Dickens couldn’t sleep, he would get out of bed, wave his arms around and slowly walk around the bedroom to beat the heat.

There is a scientific basis for this: by exposing your body to the air, perspiration evaporates and naturally cools you down.

TAKE A NATURAL TABLET

Many products claim to be able to help you sleep. For example, there is Black Cohosh, made from the roots of a North American plant.

Scientific evidence is lacking, but it is supposed to be a muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory.

‘People have used such remedies for thousands of years,’ says Dr Stanley. ‘But 99 per cent of their effects are like a placebo.

Even if they did work, the effect would be mild, and unable to counter the heat of a summer night.’

Nevertheless, if you think such products might help, try Schwabe Pharma Menoherb Tablets which contain Black Cohosh (£10.35 from Holland & Barrett).

Some people are soothed by chamomile or chrysanthemum tea, but they have not been proven to work scientifically so again it could just be a placebo effect.

GET AN AIR-CON UNIT

Air conditioning —where the hot air inside a house is expelled outside and replaced with chilled dry air — is one of the easiest solutions. But prices for air-con units can run into the hundreds.

If the warm nights really do affect you, this could be a wise investment.