Many people suffer from summer insomnia. When it's hot in your bedroom, it can be difficult to fall asleep. Feeling cool at night promotes sleepiness, but this can be hard to achieve in summer.
Late sunsets mean that you may not feel tired when you would normally get sleepy, as the total amount of daylight naturally increases a lot in the summer months. This can delay the release of melatonin in your body as it signals that it is time to get sleepy before bedtime. So your body is getting mixed signals; you may actually feel tired because you woke up early and had a busy day. But your body is not getting the important melatonin signal to wind down for the night, because darkness signals to your body that it is bedtime. Here you can wear blue blocker - or yellow tinted sunglasses - at least an hour before bedtime. This tricks the body into thinking it's dark outside and stimulates it to produce sleep-inducing melatonin.
Or just take a hot shower before bed. This sounds counterproductive on summer nights, but showering is relaxing, and afterwards the body temperature drops, signalling that it's time for bed. We know that a drop in core body temperature is associated with an increase in melatonin levels in the body, so it seems reasonable to assume that hot showers could promote melatonin release.
To lower your body temperature even further, try cooling the air in your bedroom with a fan or by opening the window. The bedroom should be a few degrees cooler than the other rooms.
It can also help to use the right fabrics for your bedding. Sheets and pyjamas made from smart fabrics that wick away sweat or contain cooling technologies can help keep you comfortable.
Otherwise, try this tip: Do you know which pillow is really cool? The other side, the one you're not lying on.
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Many people suffer from summer insomnia. When it's hot in your bedroom, it can be difficult to fall asleep. Feeling cool at night promotes sleepiness, but this can be hard to achieve in summer.
Late sunsets mean you may not feel tired when you would normally get sleepy, as the total amount of daylight naturally increases a lot in the summer months. This can delay the release of melatonin in your body as it signals that it is time to get sleepy before bedtime. So your body is getting mixed signals; you may actually feel tired because you woke up early and had a busy day. But your body isn't getting the important melatonin signal to wind down for the night, because darkness signals to your body that it's bedtime. Here, you can wear blue blocker - or yellow tinted sunglasses - at least an hour before bedtime. This tells your body that it's dark outside and stimulates it to produce sleep-inducing melatonin.
Or just take a hot shower before bed. It sounds counterproductive on summer nights, but showering is relaxing, and afterwards your body temperature drops, signalling that it's time for bed. We know that a drop in core body temperature is associated with a rise in melatonin levels in the body, so it stands to reason that hot showers could boost melatonin release.
To lower your body temperature even further, try cooling the air in your bedroom with a fan or by opening the window. The bedroom should be a few degrees cooler than the other rooms.
It can also help to use the right fabrics for your bedding. Sheets and pyjamas made from smart fabrics that wick away sweat or contain cooling technologies can help keep you comfortable.
Otherwise, try this tip: Do you know which pillow is really cool? The other side, the one you're not lying on.
