How to sleep: Five ways to fall asleep more easily during the British heatwave – expert

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Met Office advises to 'keep windows shut' during UK heatwave

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Hayley Thistelton, a sleep expert at SleepSeeker, said: “Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge. “When you don’t get enough sleep, it can impair your cognitive ability and increase your risk of conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and poor mental health.” Thistelton added: “Core body temperature follows a 24-hour cycle linked with the sleep-wake rhythm.

“Body temperature decreases when asleep and rises during waking hours, meaning sleep is most likely to occur when core temperature decreases.

“Environmental heat can disturb this balance and make it difficult to sleep.”

To help improve your chances of getting some peaceful shuteye, Thistelton recommends investing in the right duvet.

Thistleton elaborated: “Certain duvets and pillows can trap body heat causing you to feel excessively warm.

“Look out for summer duvets made of hollowfibre, which controls your temperature while you sleep.

“Of course, low tog duvets of around 4.5 tog are the best option when trying to keep cool.

“You can now even get dual tog duvets, which have a cool 4.5 tog side and a warm 10.5 tog side.”

Thistleton disapproves of strenuous exercise in the lead-up to bedtime, which can make it “harder for the body to cool down during sleep”.

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In fact, she advises that you should stay away from working out within 90 minutes of bedtime.

Instead, being active during the day could help to reduce stress and boost the amount of time you spend in deeper, more restorative sleep.

This one may be a no-brainer, but Thistleton approves of using a fan or cold compress at nighttime.

“A bed fan is best as it provides a more direct flow but any normal fan pointed at your body works well,” she said.

“A simple trick is to place a bowl of ice or bottles of frozen water in front of the fan to cool the air.

“The most important parts of the body to keep cool while trying to sleep are the head, feet and central body.

“You can do this by using a wet towel or cloth as a cold compress.”

Another tip from Thistleton is to “have a warm bath” one to two hours before you aim to go to asleep.

“Even though it might seem like the opposite of what you should be doing to keep cool… [it] helps your body temperature to decrease after you leave the bath and your body adapts to the cooler environment,” Thistleton explained.

One surprising tip is to “sleep in pyjamas”, which can “draw sweat away from your body”, enabling you to feel cooler and more comfortable.

“It’s worth wearing some loose, thin clothing instead of sleeping naked,” advised Thistleton.

Five tips to fall asleep more easily during a heatwave:

  • Get the right duvet
  • Avoid strenuous exercise 90 minutes before bed
  • Use a fan or cold compress
  • Have a warm bath
  • Sleep in pyjamas.

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