How to stay cool at night and sleep in the heat

With a heatwave across the UK, you’re probably struggling to sleep in the heat and wondering how to stay cool at night. This summer has already been one of the hottest on record and British homes are simply not designed with hot weather in mind. The good news is, there are some simple ways to make your bedroom cooler at night to stop you tossing and turning because of the heat. Here are some easy tips to sleep better on summer nights.

cool summer bedroom with an open window and white linen sheets and a vase of white flowers on the bedside table photograph by Abbie Melle

This light and airy bedroom is perfect for summer, with cool white linen sheets and fresh air drifting in from the sash window

Photograph: Abbie Mellé

5 ways to stay cool at night and sleep well in the heat

1. Open windows at night, but close them in the day

You should also keep curtains and blinds closed on hot sunny days to reduce solar gain. If you have sash windows, the trick to getting maximum air flow is to open them equally at the top and the bottom. This creates a convection current as cooler incoming air flushes the warm air out of the room.

2. Drink a hot de-caff brew before bed

It sounds a bit backwards but, according to experts, drinking hot tea at bedtime can actually help you to regulate your body temperature when it's muggy. A hot drink helps release sweat, which in turn cools your cool temperature, provided the sweat can evaporate from your skin. Camomile tea in particular is believed to make you feel sleepy.

teacup on a windowsill with a vase of white flowers photo abbie melle

Incorporate a hot decaff drink into your bedtime routine to help you wind down well

Photograph: Abbie Mellé

3. Switch to natural cotton, linen and wool bedding

Synthetic fibres aren’t breathable so if your body is hot at night, they trap the sweat next to your skin… yuk! Instead, switch all your bedding to natural fibres. To sleep in hot weather, sheets made from cotton, linen, or a blend are best. Ditch the duvet at dress your bed with layers of sheets and blankets instead. A light merino wool blanket is best as it’s very breathable, keeping you cool when it’s warm, and warm when it’s cool.

This cream blanket from The British Blanket Company is made from light and soft merino lambswool, which can help you stay cool on summer nights

4. Cool your head and feet

We lose heat from our heads and feet, so if we keep these parts of our body cool, our overall body temperature drops. Dangling your feet out from the duvet is a quick fix. You could also cool your head with a damp flannel and soak your feet in cold water before bedtime to increase the effect.

5. Move your bedroom downstairs

Warm air rises so bedrooms at the top of your house will tend to be the hottest. In hot weather, there can be as much as 10 degrees C difference between the upstairs and downstairs of your home. If you don’t have a downstairs bedroom, set up a temporary sleeping space in your living room. You can even make it fun and build a blanket fort - follow us on Pinterest to learn how!