How to Sleep Comfortably on a Hot Night

Avoid exercising for a few hours before bedtime and drink plenty of water. Exercise increases your body temperature and retains heat. By exercising earlier, your body will have enough time to cool down.

• Make sure to drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Always carry water with you.

Avoid overeating and spicy foods. Eating too much or consuming spicy foods before bedtime will make you feel hotter. It is best to have a light dinner at least 2-3 hours before sleep and avoid spicy dishes.

Avoid drinking iced water. Drinking cold water not only slows down the digestive process but also reduces your body's ability to cool itself by constricting blood vessels, thus decreasing hydration. Instead of cold water, opt for water at room temperature.

Take a warm shower. A cold shower can have the opposite effect. Your body will increase its temperature to counter the cold. Therefore, it's best to take a lukewarm or warm shower.

• You can soak your hands and feet in warm water. These areas of the body, often called "radiators," tend to heat up. Cooling your hands and feet with warm water will help regulate your body temperature and cool you down.

Look for a dark and cool sleeping spot on a lower floor or in the basement. Higher floors tend to be warmer. Therefore, try to find a cooler area closer to the ground, such as the floor of your bedroom or a space on the lower levels of your home, like the ground floor or basement.

Switch to thin sheets and bedding. Replace thick bedding (which retains heat) with lighter materials. Opt for light cotton sheets and thin blankets.

• Straw or bamboo mats are excellent choices for a cool, restful sleep. They do not retain heat and will not make you feel warm. You can lay a bamboo mat on the bedroom floor to create an ideal sleeping space.

Place your bedding in the freezer. Put your pillowcases, bed sheets, and blanket in the freezer for 30 minutes before going to sleep. Once you lay them on the bed, these items will stay cool enough (about 30-40 minutes) to help you fall asleep.

• Avoid making your bedding wet or sleeping on damp sheets, or wearing wet clothes to bed. Do not soak socks in cold water and wear them to bed, or sleep in wet clothes. Bringing wet items into the room creates excessive humidity and discomfort.

Open the window or turn on the air conditioner. About an hour before bedtime, consider opening the window in your room to enhance airflow and cool the space. However, make sure to close the window before sleeping to prevent the warm air from entering your room.

• During sleep, your body temperature will drop to its lowest point around 3 AM. At this time, outside temperatures are often cooler. If you keep the window open, the sudden drop in temperature can cause the muscles around your neck and head to tense up, potentially waking you up.
• During the day, you should keep the window closed and draw the curtains to avoid raising the room's temperature.

Wear cotton clothes or dress as minimally as possible to sleep. You might think that sleeping without clothes would help keep you cooler, but in fact, it can make you feel warmer because moisture can't evaporate between your body and the bed. It's better to wear cotton undergarments and avoid synthetic fabrics like nylon or silk, as they are less breathable and tend to trap heat.

Wipe your face, hands, and feet with a damp towel. You can place a damp towel near your bed to wipe your face and arms throughout the night. However, avoid going to bed with wet face or arms. After using the damp towel, dry yourself off with a dry towel before sleep.

• Special towels made from super-evaporative materials can help keep moisture without feeling wet to the touch. These towels cool your body without leaving you feeling damp.

Place your wrist or the inside of your forearm under cold running water for about 30 seconds. These areas have blood vessels close to the skin's surface. Holding your wrist or the inner part of your forearm under cold water for about a minute can help lower your blood temperature and cool your entire body down.

Use a fan to enhance airflow. It's a good idea to open the bedroom window and place the fan in a corner of the room, directing it towards the bed.

• Avoid positioning the fan directly towards your face, back, or any sensitive areas. Direct airflow on your face can cause neck stiffness and lead to allergies or illness.

Make an ice towel. Before air conditioners were common, people would place ice packs, cool towels, or cooling bags in front of a fan to cool the air.

• To create an ice towel, first, hang a damp towel with ice cubes between two chairs. Direct the fan towards the towel and the wall or place it in a corner of the room away from your sleeping area.
• Place a container underneath the towel to catch the melting ice water.

Flip your pillow to the cool side. If you wake up in the middle of the night due to heat, try flipping your pillow to the other side. The underside of the pillow will be cooler as it hasn’t absorbed the body heat released during the night.

Place an ice pack on your neck or forehead. You can purchase cold packs at most grocery stores. Place the cold pack on your neck, forehead, or under your arms. Cooling these areas will help lower your overall body temperature.

• You can also make your own ice pack at home. Add 3-4 tablespoons of dish soap into a ziplock bag. Put the bag in the freezer. The soap won't freeze completely, allowing it to stay colder for longer than ice and/or traditional cold packs. When you want to use it, you can place the pack on a pillow or wrap it in a towel and apply it to your neck or arms. Because the pack doesn’t freeze hard, it’s easy to use and comfortable for many body areas.
• Alternatively, you can fill a sock with rice. Place the sock in the freezer for at least 2 hours. You can carry the rice sock with you and use it as a cooling pack. Place it under your pillow to cool the side you flip to.

Spray water on your face and neck. If you frequently wake up in the middle of the night due to heat, prepare a spray bottle filled with cold water. Spritz your face and neck to cool down.

• A sleep mask can be helpful if you want to sleep longer and if there’s light in the room even after closing the curtains.
• Consider wearing headphones if you live in a busy area with constant traffic at night. The noise combined with high temperatures can make it harder to sleep.
• Feed your pets protein-rich food before bed so they won’t wake you up during the night or early morning because they’re hungry.
• Limit the use of blankets while sleeping.
• Don’t hesitate to sleep in the nude.
• Remember to turn off all lights and electronic devices.
• Put ice cubes in a bag or use something cold in your pillowcase.
• If you wear a sleep mask, try freezing it before bedtime.
• Prepare cool pillows and create space between your arms and legs. Keeping arms and legs together can absorb heat. Consider purchasing noise-cancelling curtains that also block heat, available in various colors.
• Have ice cubes ready for use when going to bed.
• Take off your socks.

• Fan
• Ice cubes
• Ice pack
• Spray bottle
• Clothing