Tips for sleeping in the UK heat

With bedrooms typically on a higher floor, and heat rising, you need to ensure that you have a comfortable bedroom to help you sleep in the hot weather.

Close curtains and blinds

Whilst natural light can often make your bedroom feel open and welcoming, it can also welcome in the heat. Closing blinds and curtains helps stop the heat from entering the room, meaning that your room can stay cooler, especially if you have a sun-facing window. If you can, get blackout curtains because these act as a barrier to heat. As a bonus, they can also work in winter by retaining heat in the room.

Make sure your bed and bedding are comfortable

Lightweight sheets are important to ensure that you have a good night's sleep. A lightweight duvet will also ensure that you can keep as cool and comfortable as possible.

Your bed is one of the most important things when trying to get the best night's sleep. If your mattress doesn’t feel relaxing at the best of times, then the heat will exacerbate an uncomfortable night’s sleep, so it’s important to have a bed that you find comfy. For those who have disabilities or mobility issues may find it useful to have an adjustable bed that conforms to their body so that they can easily get in and out of bed.

Where you can, try to face your bed away from areas where natural light shines into the room. This is especially important in hotter seasons. However, this can be difficult in smaller bedrooms.

Open windows but only at certain times

It can be tempting to open windows in the bedroom to let air in and circulate. This is generally important to stop damp and encourage air circulation. However, you should only keep the windows open when it’s cooler outside than inside. By keeping the windows open when it’s hot, you’re inviting heat inside the room. Late evenings and early mornings can often be the best time to keep your windows open so that you can circulate air without letting too much heat inside. As a rule of thumb, the weather outside should be cooler than the air temperature of the room.

Keep a fan on, but be careful

Fans can be a quick way to keep yourself cool in the bedroom and help move the air around. However, you also need to ensure that your fan is clean, as it can easily collect dust and debris, which can cause issues. It’s also important not to have a fan pointed directly at you, because this can inadvertently cause dehydration.

Lukewarm shower or bath before bed

It might seem counterintuitive to have a warm bath or shower before bed, but it can help regulate your body temperature, relaxing you so that you feel sleepier before bed. Don’t have a red-hot shower or bath, because that can make you feel much hotter, and whilst a cold shower or bath might seem like a good idea, it might be too refreshing and help stimulate your body to wake up rather than prepare you for a good night's sleep.

Darren Cole from Willowbrook adds, “Whilst sometimes welcome in the UK, hot weather can often make people uncomfortable, especially when it comes to getting to sleep at night. Whilst it can affect anyone, older people can be at a higher risk, and it’s important that everyone is comfortable in their room, both for comfort and for health reasons.”

You can find out more about Willowbrook here: https://willowbrook.co.uk/