Summer nights'' advice for sound sleep
Individuals across the UK will have welcomed the sun over the last few weeks with open arms and a song in their hearts, as the rain and gloom of recent months has been replaced with glorious, sweltering sunshine.
However, while hot and sunny days can be great for building a tan and generally helping everyone to feel that summer is finally on its way, hot evenings can be a serious hindrance to getting a sound and restful night's sleep.
As such, the Sleep Council has unveiled an array of tips for helping people to make their bedroom a haven of coolness and tranquillity during the coming summer months, with the focus on helping individuals to continue to have restful nights even when the thermometer soars.
One of the top tips offered by the Sleep Council is to do away with the heavy duvet that has wrapped sleepers during the cold winter and spring and to replace it with a light sheet. Furthermore, people should slip into more comfortable
bed clothes that are light and airy if they wish to have a good night's rest.
Another useful tip is to open both the window and the door of the bedroom at the same time, as this will create a draught and hopefully help sleepers to keep cool.
Failing that, the installation of an electric fan or air conditioning can be another great way to ensure the air in the room continues to circulate and Brits will therefore not get too hot and bothered while trying to catch some shut-eye.
Prior to heading up to the bedroom, the Sleep Council also noted there are numerous tips and tricks that can help individuals to get to sleep more easily even when the weather is roasting outside.
Taking a cool bath or shower can help people to go to bed feeling refreshed and ready for a good night's sleep, while taking iced water into the bedroom and having a glass at hand throughout the night on a bedside table can also help people to stay hydrated and refreshed.
Avoiding too much alcohol and big meals can also be excellent advice for Brits hoping to sleep peacefully during hotter nights, as both of these things can make a person hot and bothered throughout the night through dehydration and over-active digestion.
Furthermore, individuals updating their bedroom furniture for the summer have been advised to ensure they invest in a bed that is of the right proportion and gives them adequate room to spread out and relax - being squashed and cramped in a bed on a hot summer's evening is nobody's idea of fun.
A final couple of more off-the-wall tips for a sound and restful night's sleep relate to the importance of keeping a cool head - this means Brits could get better sleep by taking a few minutes to put their pillow in the freezer before bedtime or alternatively filling a hot water bottle with iced water and taking that up to bed with them.
The Sleep Council also recently highlighted the importance of people having the right pillow in order to secure a restful night's sleep. It revealed that having the right pillow can be exceedingly important for comfort during the night, as well as in helping to avoid a painful neck or headache upon waking the next morning.
As such, the organisation advised individuals to try out any new pillow before they purchase it. In this way they can ensure it gives the proper support and has the correct alignment to stop the head lolling or neck being permanently twisted throughout the night, as this is where problems can arise.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
