4 ways to sleep well without air conditioning

According to research from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA, on nights when the weather is above 30 degrees Celsius, people will sleep about 14 minutes less.

Not every family has air conditioning, so to sleep better on hot nights, you can refer to the following methods.

Keep your bedroom as cool as possible

Professor Mathias Basner at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA, said that sleep and body temperature are closely related. When falling asleep, the human body will cool down by dissipating heat through the head, arms, hands, legs and feet.

"If the bedroom is so hot that there is not a big difference between skin and room temperature, it will be harder to cool down quickly," says Mathias Basner.

Therefore, on hot days, you should keep your bedroom as cool as possible. People should close curtains and blinds during the day to avoid direct sunlight and open windows at night to increase air flow and ventilation. For some reason, you do not want or cannot open the windows, so you should open the main bedroom door to create ventilation from other rooms in the house. At the same time, use an electric fan to feel cooler.

Do not bathe in water that is too cold

While it may seem logical to cool down with cold water, it's actually counterproductive because of the way your skin and circulatory system react to heat, says Carrie Kovarik, MD, associate professor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Accordingly, when you take a cold shower, the skin temperature will decrease and people will feel cooler. But as a result, the amount of blood reaching the skin will also decrease and the human body will not release much heat. At that time, you may feel temporarily cooler, but because you cannot release much heat through the skin, all the heat is retained inside. Therefore, according to Dr. Kovarik, it is best to take a warm shower at about 33 degrees Celsius to help cool down more over time.

Rearrange your sleeping position

If you share a bed with someone who is hot or sweaty, try sleeping away from them, says Rafael Pelayo, MD, clinical professor and sleep medicine specialist at Stanford University School of Medicine. You might also consider sleeping on the floor, which is often cooler than the bed.

You can also move to a cooler part of the house to sleep, such as the lowest floor or the basement (if you have one). The reason is that hot air rises and the upper floors will be hotter than the lower floors.

Practice good sleep habits

On hot days, it can be difficult to reach the ideal temperature for sleeping, so do things that help you fall asleep, such as creating a dark and quiet environment. You should also avoid using electronic devices or exercising before bed, as these can raise your body temperature.

In addition, prepare a cool sleeping space with cool pillows, sheets and comfortable clothes. Placing a glass of cool water on the bedside can help reduce heat when you wake up with a high body temperature.