How to Sleep Through a hot Night Without an Aircon

When you think of summer, for most people this strikes images of hanging out at the beach, enjoying icy-poles and tanning in the sun.

But for someone who doesn’t have an air conditioner in their room (enter me) summer in Melbourne is equivalent to fiery hell.

With temperatures hot enough to melt tar on the ground, it’s no surprise I struggle to sleep at night.

I will be tossing and turning into the early morning, drenched in my own sweat. Do you feel my pain? Well worry no longer fellow sweaty people!

With my months of expertise, I bring you the best ways to sleep through a hot night, minus an air-con.

1. Have a cool shower

The most important step in getting sleep at night is to maintain a regular body temperature. Having a cool shower before bed gets rid of sweat and helps lower your body’s core temperature in preparation for sleep. Although a freezing cold shower may seem tempting, you shouldn’t, as your body will over-compensate for the heat loss.

It’s also not a good idea to have quick showers throughout the night. Sleep doctor, Dr Gradisdar told The ABC “the body [temperature] starts to increase as soon as you stand up so you don’t want to do it for long.” Bright lights in a bathroom will also trigger the body into waking up.

2. Put your bedding in the freezer

Pop your bedding, sheets and pillows into the freezer before bed. I recommend putting it in a plastic bag so it doesn’t gather icicles. The longer is stays in the freezer the better! The cool sheets won’t last the whole night but it will be heaven for the first half hour.

3. Use a spray bottle or damp wash cloth

Keep a spray bottle or damp wash cloth beside your bed to dampen your forehead or anywhere that’s hot. Heat especially radiates from yours hands and feet so using it on these parts of the body can help cool the rest of you.

4. Use cotton sheets

Swap out the heavy-duty doonas any synthetic fabrics for light coloured bed-linen made out of cotton. These are breathable and help promote airflow. Also avoid having any covers over your torso.

5. Turn off the electronics

As much as I love a last minute check of social media before I go to sleep, it’s important to unplug. Electronics, gadgets and phones radiate heat even when not in use. Unplug them from the socket at least half an hour before you go to bed to help cool the room.

6. Make use of a fan

Fans work by circulating air around the room, so make sure you open a window and let the fan push the cool air into the room. Position the fan in the corner so it faces towards your bed.

Don’t forget to turn it off the next morning as the movement can actually heat up the air over long periods of time.

What do you do to beat the heat?