We are in the grip of a full blown heatwave once again, and they seem to get longer and more intense with each passing year. Many of us here in the UK have not yet adapted to sleeping well on hot nights, and struggle to feel lively and refreshed the next day. This can leave us irritable and we may find it more difficult to concentrate at work.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to give yourself a better chance of sleeping well on a hot night. Here are some tips that might help you.
Keep your bedroom cool
Draw your curtains to keep the heat of the day out of your bedroom, and keep the windows closed if the room is in direct sunlight. Keeping your bedroom door ajar while you sleep can help to create a cooling draught.
Use natural fabrics for bedding
Make sure that your bedding is made from breathable natural fibres such as cotton or linen rather than synthetics. Just use a sheet to cover yourself rather than a duvet, but keep a blanket to hand in case your body temperature drops during the night.
Chill your pillow
If your bedroom is still like a furnace, you could try soaking a towel in cold water and placing it on your pillow to sleep. Alternatively, put your pillow case in the freezer for an hour or two before you go to bed.
Stay away from your phone
It might be tempting to scroll through your phone if you cannot sleep, but the blue light works against sleep and you are also in danger of overstimulating your mind when you should be winding down.
Practise a mindfulness meditation
If you are still struggling to drop off despite taking the above steps, you could try mindfulness meditation. One way to do this is a body scan meditation, where you focus on releasing the tension in each area of your body in turn, by clenching and then relaxing your muscles. Start with your face and neck, and work your way down to your toes.
Pay attention to your breath as you do so, and any physical or emotional sensations you may feel. Don’t worry or try to analyse them; just let them go without judgement. If your mind wanders, try to bring it back to the present moment rather than let yourself begin to ruminate or worry about the future.
If you are still struggling to sleep and you are starting to feel anxious, it’s best to get out of bed rather than continue to force yourself to drop off. Sometimes just sitting quietly reading or meditating for 20 minutes or so can help to reset a busy mind, allowing you to return to bed ready for rest.
In the end, a poor night’s sleep is not the end of the world, and you will probably cope very well with your daily tasks nonetheless, so try not to worry too much.
If you are looking for anxiety therapy in Kensington, please get in touch today.
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