Sleeping Cooler This Spring and Summer

Sleeping cooler is a challenge when the St. Louis summer’s hot and humid days arrive. When you can’t get comfortable, you’re in for a long restless night of tossing and turning. Here are some tips for sleeping cooler this spring and summer so you can sleep like a log.

One of the first things you need to do this spring in order to sleep cooler is change the sheets on your bed. Sheets made from cotton or cotton/polyester blends and linen are better for warmer months because the fabric is breathable and wicks moisture, like sweat, away. In addition to changing the sheets, consider sleeping on a smaller sized pillow since large pillows can make your head feel warm. If a large pillow is all you have, slip on a pillow case made from sateen, a softer cotton resembling satin. And anytime you wake up during the night, turn your pillow over to take advantage of the pillow’s reverse side which will feel much cooler.

Another way to sleep cooler this spring and summer is by filling a clean sock with rice, tying a knot at the open end and placing it in the freezer for a few hours. At bedtime, place the cool sock alongside your neck or on your forehead for a cooler night’s sleep. You can wrap the sock with a dish towel or washcloth if it feels too cold.

Certainly air conditioning is the best remedy for a hot and humid summer night but for those of us who can’t afford air conditioning or who have the misfortune of one that’s broken down and in need of repair, the only choice is to use a fan and open the windows in order to cause the room’s temperature to drop. And sometimes an open window and a fan can only do so much. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep a spray bottle filled with a 50% water/50% rubbing alcohol mixture on your nightstand. When you’re too hot and uncomfortable to sleep, spraying your arms and legs will keep your skin cooler with the mixture quickly evaporating thanks to the alcohol. Spraying your sheets with the water mixture and positioning the fan to blow on the sheets is another great way to sleep cooler this spring and summer.

Another tactic to use in your strategy for sleeping cooler this spring and summer is sleeping on the ground floor of your home. Warm air rises. If your bedroom is on the second floor of your house, consider moving to the first floor couch. Also, avoid drinking caffeinated beverages or alcohol before bed as both substances raise blood pressure and make your body feel hotter.

Part of sleeping cooler this spring and summer means wearing lighter clothing to bed like pure cotton fabrics that wick perspiration away from the body. And remember this past winter when your hands and feet got cold? That’s because heat escapes first through our extremities. So use this to your advantage this spring and summer, keeping your feet bare. In other words, don’t cover them with any sheets or bedding. Also, consider sleeping with a wet head. As your hair dries and water around your scalp evaporates, you’ll keep cooler.

Sleeping cooler this spring and summer is much easier when you follow these simple tips.