Summer Sleep Guide

The survival guide for hot sleepless nights:

Summer is officially here! This means more late nights drinking, warmer nights, parties and all round good times!

Unless….. You’re like us! Summer for us means: 

• High pollen count triggers allergies, which flare up at night time. 
• Increased temperatures make it harder for us to drift off, and means we toss and turn more than the usual. 
• More late-night social events mean we inevitably drink more and then end up staring at the ceiling all night as a result. 
• Sleeping with the windows open increases outside light and noises that keep us up.

……….The list goes on!

That’s why we’ve made our survival guide for hot sleepless nights - so if you’re like us and get stressed out at the thought of the next few months being even more sleepless than normal, this list is for you:

Temperature

Your body temperature naturally peaks in the evening and then drops when you are asleep. Even slight changes to your normal patterns can be disruptive. So it's important to be aware of your temperature patterns and prepare accordingly.

These are our top 3 hacks for summer temperature control:

1. Invest in a good fan, it keeps the temp down and blocks out external noise.
2. Sleep with a light cotton sheet. If temps really soar, try rinsing it in water to keep you cool.
3. Have your own bedding! In the winter it might be great to cuddle up to your partner to keep warm, but in the summer the heat from your two bodies can make you more uncomfortable. Regulate things by having separate bedding for both of you.

Allergies

If you’re one of the 13 million people in the UK that suffers from hay fever then the chances are that you’ve been kept awake by that non stop eye and nose itch. If you want to help reduce the symptoms try these 3 things:

1. Drink green tea to help relieve your symptoms.
2. Take a hot shower before bed to remove all pollen from your body and hair.
3. Use fresh sheets on your bed to avoid contamination from pollen outside.

Eating & Drinking

The summer season inevitably brings its fair share of festivities. And just because you sleep badly doesn’t mean you should miss out on the fun. But bear in mind that stimulants like alcohol, tobacco and heavy foods in the run up to bed will disrupt the chemical balance in your brain needed for restful sleep. So what can you do?

1. Drink early in the evening and stop at least 3 hours before bed.
2. Switch beers for non-alcoholic alternatives. They look and taste the same, without the hangover!
3. Eat as lightly and early as possible in the evenings so that digestion doesn’t keep you up.

Noise & Light

To keep the temp down in your bedroom it’s great to keep windows open and maximise airflow. The only problem then is that outside noise disturbs the peacefulness of your room. And extra light can interfere with your body's circadian rhythm, which will cause havoc on your sleep patterns . Here’s our top 3 tips for fighting noise and light:

1. Invest in a luxury sleep mask to block out all light in the room.
2. Use earplugs or a white noise machine to cover up external noises.
3. Listen to sleeping music playlists on Spotify (or binaural beats for extra zen) at a low volume.

Here’s to a great summer of good quality sleep!!!

Get Drowsy. Sleep Better.