Earlier this week, it was reported that Australians would have a summer of extreme weather as heatwave conditions sweep much of the country.

It’s safe to say that Christmas Day will bring warm weather and calm conditions for most Aussies, but the 25th will most likely be a particularly hot and sweaty affair for those in the western and southern states.

Now that the temperature is heating up, even getting a good night’s sleep has become more challenging, particularly for those without air conditioning.

As nighttime temperatures shuffle between 17C and 21C, it is possible that you might think you've gotten enough sleep but still feel like a zombie when you wake up - the condition is coined as ‘heat hangover’.

Getting a good night's sleep could start to become a struggle for some people due to the rising temperatures. Photo credit: Completecare.ca.​

Professor David Hillman, deputy chair of the Sleep Health Foundation, explains: “Once the temperature of your bedroom rises above 24 degrees, your body begins to go beyond its thermo-neutral zone — that's where a completely naked human body is comfortable and doesn't have to do anything 'extra' to cool itself.”

“Higher than 24 degrees, and your body begins to try and regulate its temperature through evaporative heat loss. You begin to sweat more, and your blood circulates closer to the skin to cool you off more efficiently,” he added, clarifying that our brains simply can’t handle the extra work at night, hence waking us up.

The sleep disruption caused by the rise in temperatures leads to “the symptoms of a bad night's rest like lethargy and fatigue in the morning” or ‘heat hangover’.

Thankfully, sleep expert Chery Fingleson of The Sleep Coach shared some of her top tips with us for beating the nighttime heat.

Go low

Since warmer air tends to rise, Cheryl suggests considering moving your mattress to the bedroom floor during the summer. Or, if you live in a house with multiple floors, consider sleeping in one of the lower rooms.

This may not always be practical in every situation, like having a large and heavy bed, but this tip may work for kids with smaller mattresses if they find it hard to sleep in the heat.

Be fan-savvy

Cheryl also recommends having more than one fan in your room.

One is placed next to an open window to push the hot air out, and the second one is angled towards your body. Avoid pointing it directly at your face, which may disrupt your sleep schedule.

Sleep solo

According to Cheryl, sleeping alone is cooler and less disruptive.

Sharing your bed with a partner or a pet means having different body temperatures. The chances are high that their body heat will transfer to you throughout the night.

If sleeping separately is not plausible, you and your partner could opt to have different covers instead.

Unplug

Cheryl says, “I always tell my clients to have an electronic sunset and keep all screens out of the bed.”

According to the sleep expert, using more electricity in the room could result in more heat being emitted.

“Turning off electrical appliances around your house when they’re not in use will also help it keep cool,” she added.


Have you got any other tips for staying cool this summer?

 

[Joyce]

It seems miss 7yr old is more savvy than me, she's been having her mattress on the floor for ages.