Keeping Your Cool in Summer Months

It’s way past hot, y’all!

If your bedroom, doesn’t cool as efficiently as the other rooms in your house, it can be very difficult to enjoy a good night’s sleep during the summer months. But there are some tips and tricks that can give you a helping hand in this regard. Most of these techniques may seem like they are common sense, but they can all add up to helping you to keep your cool and get the shut-eye that you need, especially when the night time temperatures aren’t dropping below 90 degrees.

Choose Cotton Sheets

While silk and polyester may seem like the more enticing options, cotton is the most breathable of materials and this is exactly what you are going for. The last thing that you need is sheets that are going to make you sweat more than necessary. You can sweat as much as a liter or more overnight! Cotton sheets should also help keep you comfortable and can promote ventilation and airflow in the bedroom. 

Use Windows and Curtains Wisely

To stop your bedroom from overcooking, you may want to keep the curtains closed during the day. Using insulated and lined curtains help keep out UV light as well as heat. In addition to this, you could look into replacing your old windows with more energy efficient ones. New home windows will go a long way in making a room feel cooler in these oppressive temperatures. Using a room or ceiling fan help to create a cooling cross-breeze which helps to reduce the overall temperature of the room.

Cold Water Bottle

If it’s really hot out and you can’t find any cooling relief, try using a simple water bottle! Simply stick an almost full plastic water bottle in the freezer and when you are ready to go to bed, you have your very own ice pack which you can cuddle up to! You’ll want to wrap it in a hand towel, however, so as the ice melts, the condensation doesn’t make your bed wet. 

Take a Cold Shower Before Bed

Sure, taking a cold shower is not anyone’s idea of heaven, but when you get out, your body temperature will have been brought right down and you will have rinsed off the sweat which built up during the day. This will help you to get to sleep in the first place, which is often the most difficult part of sleeping in a hot environment. It will be much more pleasant now than it was when we first moved into our Texas Yellow Rose, where I had no choice but to take an ice cold shower because we had no hot water. The attitude is a bit different when it’s done by choice and not force!

Avoid Using the Stove

The summer months are the perfect time to enjoy new salad and other cold meal recipes. You really don’t want to be filling up the house with more heat by cooking on the stove top if you can help it. If you do feel like cooking, try using the outdoor grill rather than the stove, and swap your wintertime big meals for something which is smaller and lighter so that your body is not having to work so hard trying to digest it. 

Turn Off Lights and Electronics

There is no need to have all your lights on and all of your electronics plugged in. Take advantage of the long days and natural light by not keeping your lights on for longer than necessary. Disconnect your most heat emitting electronics as these only add to the heat of an already hot environment. However small an impact that you think that this has, every little bit helps.

Sleeping during the summer months can get tough, but putting some or all of these little tricks and tips into practice can end up making a big difference. And remember to stay safe from the heat, no matter the time of day.

*Collaborative post.