It’s a scorcher in Mallorca at the moment! With temperatures set to reach 40 degrees (and reports of it having done so in Palma) we thought it was a good idea to offer some top tips to get some rest during this peak summer time.
In light of the arrival of higher temperatures, many of us will be contemplating one of the biggest struggles that come with balmy climes: how to get a good night’s sleep. We found a great article on www.msn.com which offers some good advise from experts on just that.
According to Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a sleep expert at Silentnight, the optimal bedroom temperature for sleeping is between 16C and 21C, and your brain needs to be slightly cooler than the rest of your body.
“A good night’s sleep is important in order to process information throughout the day as well as to repair and re-balance the body physically and mentally,” Ramlakhan tells The Independent.
“Ideally, in order for us to sleep well, there needs to be a fractional temperature difference between our body and our brain – a warm body and a cool head!”
So what can you do to cool yourself down and get some precious shut-eye?
Expert Tips:
1. Put your bedding in the freezer for a couple of minutes (put it in a plastic bag first though). If you don’t have much room in your fridge or freezer, even just your pillowcase or PJs will help.
2. Fill a hot water bottle with iced water and place on the ‘cooling points’ of your body: knees, ankles, wrists, neck, groin and elbows. You can also fill a hot water bottle with cool water, freeze it and take it to bed with you.
3. Moisturise before bed with an aloe vera based aftersun cream, ideally kept in the fridge.
4. Fill an empty perfume bottle with chilled water and keep it by your bedside, spray on your face, back of your neck, and back of your knees to cool down.
5. Use cotton pyjamas and thin, pure cotton sheets for your bed – high quality cotton is the ideal bedding material to sleep between to stay cool as it’s most breathable.
6. Make sure you’re not eating too much protein as this can actually heat your body up by boosting your metabolic rate, according to sleep expert Dave Gibson.
7. Eat spicy food, but at least three hours before bed – it can make you sweat which cools the body down.
8. Exercise in the morning rather than evening to stop your body getting too hot.
9. Keep your evening shower tepid to lower your body temperature. Don’t have a freezing cold one though, as your body will react to the sudden change in temperature by preserving heat.
10. Contrary to popular belief, Gibson says we should keep windows closed during the day to keep the house cooler. Keep the curtains closed too.
11. Turn off all electrical devices in the bedroom as these emit heat. Switch off sockets too.
12. Keep your feet cool, either by keeping them outside the covers or resting on an ice pack.
13. Put a roasting pan full of ice in front of a fan to cool the air.
14. Drink water regularly during the day, but not too much at night. About ½ pint before bed will be enough to keep you hydrated and prevent you from having to get up and go to the loo.
15. Sleep in a separate bed from your partner – two bodies = twice the body heat.
16. Sleep downstairs if you can as heat rises.
17. Sleep in cool, wet socks or even a damp T-shirt – although we think this might be the most unappealing of the tips.
18. Rinse your wrists and feet with cold water before getting into bed.
19. If you wake up in the night, rub a menthol stick on your forehead to help cool down, Dr Ramlakhan recommends.
20. Place a wet flannel in the fridge for an hour or so before you go to bed, and rest this on your forehead as you drift off.
We hope this helps give you some idea if you are tossing and turning and cant get comfortable at night.
Stay safe and keep well.
Article taken in part from www.msn.com
If you found this article helpful you may also find this one interesting: Have a Healthy Holiday
Disclaimer
All content on this website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Always consult your own GP if you’re in any way concerned about your health.