Expert Explains How To Get A Good Night's Sleep During A Heatwave

The news of a heatwave washing up on UK shores has no doubt been warmly welcomed by the vast majority of us.

Meteorologists have forecast the hottest day of the year, with temperatures in London expected to be hotter than Ibiza. But while this means we can all enjoy a beer in the sun, it also indicates that we may have trouble sleeping over the coming nights.

Storyblocks

Allowing your body temperature to drop enables you to drift off to sleep, but with England and Wales expected to stay in the mid to high teens overnight, this may not be as easy as normal.

Fortunately, sleep expert James Wilson - aka The Sleep Geek - is on hand to offer some top tips.

First of all, it is important to take preparatory steps before bed time.

Speaking to LADbible, James said: "During the day, open windows on either side of the house. Get a nice airflow through and when direct sunlight is in a room, ensure the blinds or curtains are closed.

"Have a bath or shower in the hour before bed, or a great tip is to fill a hot water bottle with lukewarm water and place your bare feet on it. This will raise your temperature slightly and then it will drop, helping your body prepare for sleep."

Another practical tip you could try is putting your pillowcase in the fridge - dampening it slightly for an enhanced effect. Exercising during the day to really tire yourself out can be handy too, though you may want to resist putting the fan on overnight if you have hay fever.

Storyblocks

However, James thinks that the hardest thing about getting off to sleep during a heatwave isn't battling the heat - it's battling your own mindset.

He said: "I find the biggest issue many of us run into in the hot weather is our mindset. We convince ourselves that it is just too hot and that we won't sleep tonight. This then leads onto how awful it will be tomorrow if we don't sleep tonight and before you know it, you have caused your heart rate to rise and you have talked yourself into sleeping poorly.

"My advice is not to worry too much about it. We live in the UK, at some point the weather will break and it will cool down again. Until then just try and get the best sleep you can."

Topics: Weather, Interesting, Sleep, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey