Thursday Tips – How to Cool Down for Better Sleep

A slumber expert shares tips on staying cool for better slumber during the summer.

During the summer months, keeping your cool can be a challenge which may affect your sleep.  When we’re hot, our bodies work overtime to cool down which disrupts relaxation and eventually our slumber.  A sleep expert shared some tips on cooling off.  Have you tried the hot water bottle trick?  Some sleep experts recommend a warm bottle on your feet before bed to raise your core temp. It sort of tricks your body to cool off.  You can put your feet in lukewarm water.  It offers the same benefit.   This may sound silly but freeze your pajamas or pillow case.  Pop them into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to give you a cool treat.  But whatever you do, keep them on! Don’t sleep naked, according to the experts.  Keep them on to help absorb any sweat.  Make sure they’re loose-fitting in natural fibers like cotton.  Speaking of keeping your clothes on, a heat wave is not the time to snuggle. Body heat transfers so when it’s really hot use separate sheets.  For dinner go light and neutral for better sleep.   Spicy and fermented food can make you feel hot, and it takes more energy to metabolize a large meal.  So you want to aim for light and neutral for a cool night’s rest.  Use your breathe to cool down.  A breathing exercise called sitalee is known for it’s cooling ability.   According to a YouTube video we found, you sip in your breath, curling your tongue like a straw.  And finally, to breathe in cooler air at night, simply put a bowl of ice in front of a fan.  It will circulate cooler air around the room.