The spring and summer months can make sleep impossible, with everything from hot temperatures and noisy late night barbecues to noisy bird songs and early sunrises to contend with. Numerous studies show that our sleep changes for the worse when spring comes. Being stressed about this will not help – although, of course, it is understandable to be concerned about the climate crisis, which will lead to extreme temperatures and make sleep even more difficult.
But on the sleepless night itself, try to relax. “It’s perfectly normal to have a weird bad night,” said Dr. Ali Hare, a sleep consultant at Royal Brompton Hospital in London. “Accept that if there is a big heat wave, you may have a few nights that are not so good, instead of really worrying about it and then trying to fall asleep. If you try to fall asleep, you will not fall asleep. ” (If insomnia has lasted more than two weeks, it’s important for people to see their GP, she adds.) Here, experts give their advice on how to sleep better during the summer months.
Think about your circadian rhythm
“We all like these long evenings, but being exposed to light late can shift your circadian rhythm backwards, causing something called a slow sleep phase and making you want to fall asleep later than you might otherwise,” says Guy Leschiner. , Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at Guy’s Hospital in London and author of Night Brain. “Obviously a lot of people have a normal life and don’t want to sit behind closed curtains.” One way to balance it is to get a bright light in the morning, “as much as possible after waking up”, which should make you feel sleepy earlier in the day. Remember that bright light from screens, all year round, also has a negative effect on our sleep-wake rhythm.
Try to avoid too much light penetration. Photo: Marco Geber / Getty Images
The right light
Blackout blinds or curtains can be useful if your bedroom gets a lot of light in the early morning. An eye mask can also help if it doesn’t make you feel too hot and sweaty. Your room, Hare says, “doesn’t have to be completely black. People can be a little obsessed with blocking every particle of light. It’s just about dimming the lights when you sleep to allow melatonin levels to rise [the hormone associated with sleep]and then reduce the significant penetration of light in the morning. You are more likely to wake up if there is a lot of light penetration. “
Reduce your room temperature
For most of us, says Leszciner, “the best ambient temperature in the bedroom is 16-18C (61-64.5F).” In the event of a heat wave, he recommends placing a damp cloth on the fan, “because essentially evaporating the water from the damp cloth will cool the air that the fan blows over you.”
A warm or just lukewarm bath about an hour before bed can help you lose heat more effectively. Photo: Ed Bock / Getty Images
Take a cool shower or bath
“We know that our core body temperature and the onset of sleep are closely linked,” says Leszciner. “In preparation for sleep, our core body temperature tends to drop. Before we wake up, it rises, so there are probably some important regulatory mechanisms that link our core body temperature and sleep. A warm or just lukewarm bath or shower about an hour before bed “causes blood vessels in your skin to dilate, so when you get out of the bath, you can lose heat more effectively.” Others advise you not to take a cold shower before bed, no matter how tempting when the weather is hot, because it can actually raise your body temperature. “There is some scientific justification, because a cold shower will constrict your blood vessels and therefore make you less able to lower your core body temperature. So theoretically, yes, “said Leszciner, but added that he was not aware of any good evidence.
Keep your head cool
“The brain doesn’t like to get too hot,” said Jim Horn, an honorary professor of psychophysiology at Loughborough University and author of Insomnia. This is one of the reasons your cheeks turn red, especially when you’re tired, he says, as “your body is expelling heat.” You can open a window, but this risks missing noise and light (if the breeze interferes with the curtains). Horn recommends a fan that comes with the white noise bonus – something many people find comforting. “I think a fan nearby with a light breeze over your head is the best method. It doesn’t matter if your body gets too hot in your sleep, as long as your brain is cool. “
In addition to cool air, the fan creates white noise, which can help some people fall asleep. Photo: invizbk / Getty Images / iStockphoto
Cooling tricks
Leschiner heard them all. “People try to put a pillow in the fridge or even in the freezer before going to bed. Wearing clothes that remove sweat from your skin because it increases the surface area from which your sweat can evaporate. And things like natural sheet materials. It’s all anecdotal, he says, but “anything you can do to try to cool down a bit is something that will probably make better sleep easier.”
Stick to a routine
In the summer, our schedules can change, from gardening to dusk, late meals or staying with friends, and a light evening puts us to sleep with the idea that it’s still day, which means we go to bed later. “Regular bedtime and waking time is one of the things I recommend for a good night’s sleep, perhaps the most important thing,” says Hare. Our habits are also changing – we can drink more alcohol, for example. “Alcohol helps you fall asleep because it’s soothing, but it disrupts your REM sleep,” Hare said. “You’re more likely to wake up in the early hours and try to fall asleep again.” We may be more likely to eat later, but Hare says we should try to avoid eating heavy foods two hours before bed, “because your body can’t sleep and digest.” [at the same time]. You will often have problems with reflux, indigestion and bloating, and this can disrupt your sleep. “A light salad is good; a barbecue feast is not perfect. And don’t drink iced coffee in the afternoon.” There is a lot of genetic variability in how fast We process caffeine, but for most people it takes a long time, so the general rule I give is to avoid caffeine in the afternoon, ”says Hare.
Regular bedtime and waking time is probably the most important factor for a good night’s sleep. Photo: Cavan Images / Getty Images / Cavan Images RF
Avoid siesta
Taking a nap in the shade is a pleasure, but Hare says he doesn’t recommend taking a nap, likening it to snacks between meals. “You’ll tend to struggle to fall asleep, wake up a little early, or you won’t be able to sleep because you’ve just reduced your appetite for it,” she says. The exception, she says, is “if you’ve had very limited sleep – especially if you have to drive somewhere or do something that involves important concentration – then napping is important because it improves alertness and your ability to focus.” But generally speaking, I do not recommend napping as a routine practice. There is evidence that they actually disrupt your sleep instead of improving it.
Sleep alone (maybe)
You may find that you sleep better without your partner tossing and turning with his or her own sleep problems or radiating heat. This is “difficult,” Hare said, noting that sleeping with a partner is an important part of many people’s relationships; often this is something that the people he sees in his clinic want to return to. “If you find that sharing a bed makes you too hot, then yes, but in general I don’t like to recommend sleeping separately,” she says. “It can be difficult to return to co-sleeping if you enter the pattern of separate sleep.”
Don’t train too late
In the summer, you can try to adjust your running in the evening when the temperature is a little lower, but this can make it difficult to fall asleep. Vigorous exercise will raise your body temperature, and the excitement and motivation of trying to break your personal records will not help. Save it for the morning; in the evening, Horn recommends a “relaxing walk in low light.” Although he also adds that – like most of this advice – this is for those who are vulnerable to fragmented sleep. “If you sleep well, do what you want.”
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