HOW TO SLEEP IN HOT WEATHER WITHOUT AC
When the summer heat sets in, getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have air conditioning. Unfortunately, poor sleep leads to physical and psychological stress, leaving you in a poor mental state as your body craves rest.
Hot summer days should be for new memories, friends, and laughter. If you do not have air conditioning, we are giving you 4 solutions on how to sleep in hot weather without AC. With a few simple strategies and adjustments to your sleeping environment, you can enjoy restful nights and wake up refreshed.
Let’s explore four techniques to help you sleep in hot weather without AC.
Table of Contents
1. Create a Cool Sleeping Environment
The first step to sleeping comfortably in hot weather is to create a sleeping environment that is as cool as it can be. There is nothing as depressing as walking in to an overheated bedroom, just as you want to go to bed.
Follow these tips throughout the day to cool your bedroom down:
Open windows and doors during the cooler hours
Take advantage of the cooler night air by opening windows and doors if you do not live in an overly humid region. Ensure that you keep your lights turned off, especially if you do not have mosquito screens on your windows, and position fans strategically to draw in the fresh breeze.
Close curtains and blinds during the day
Sunlight streaming through glass windows can significantly heat up your room. While the natural heating on your room sounds good on a cold winter day, you will want to avoid sunlight entering your room on hot days. Keep curtains or blinds closed to block out the heat and sunlight. We recommend thicker black-out curtains or blinds to block the most heat.
Use natural cooling methods
Place a bowl of ice or a cold damp towel in front of a fan to create a DIY air conditioner. The fan will circulate cooler air generated by the ice or damp towel. Check this link if you want more ideas on DIY air conditioners that do not break the bank and can make for a fun summer project.
Opt for breathable bedding materials
Choose lightweight and breathable bedding materials like viscose from bamboo, eucalyptus, or organic cotton. These materials allow better airflow and naturally wick away your body’s moisture, allowing it to cool down on its own and auto-regulate its temperature. Once you have selected your favorite material (hint: ours is bamboo!), choose a weaving technique that gives out a thinner sheets (the sateen weave for example, yields a softer but thicker bed sheet).
2. Optimize Airflow and Ventilation
Improving airflow and ventilation in your sleeping area can make a substantial difference in keeping you cool. Getting the right amount of air moving, can easily help you sleep in hot weather without AC. We even suggest you keep some sheets handy, to cover your body as temperatures drop overnight. The simple air moving, can make you feel a little chilly throughout the night.
Consider the following suggestions:
Position fans strategically
Place fans near windows or doors to draw in cooler air from outside. You can also set up multiple fans for cross ventilation by creating a breeze that circulates throughout the room. For the most cooling, we recommend a ceiling fan over your bed, as well as a rotating tower fans along each sleeper’s body.
Use window fans
Window fans can help exhaust hot air from your room. Install them in a window where they can blow the hot air outwards, in order to release heat and replace it with cooler air.
Create a wind tunnel
Getting the air moving is key! Position a box fan at one end of your room, facing outwards, and open a window or door at the opposite end. This setup creates a wind tunnel effect, pulling hot air out while drawing in cooler air, as it cools over night. Ensure that leaving a window open is safe to the sleepers (i.e., kids, sleepwalker, etc.), in a safe environment (i.e., intruders, wildlife, air pollution, etc.), and that you have mosquito screens fitted to the window or door, to prevent bugs from coming in.
3. Optimize Your Bedding
Choosing the right bedding can significantly impact your comfort level during hot nights. Consider these suggestions:
Use moisture-wicking sheets
Look for sheets made from naturally moisture-wicking fabrics that help absorb and evaporate sweat, keeping you cooler and more comfortable throughout the night. Refer to the table below for a ranking by material often found in bedding
Try a cooling mattress pad or topper
Bed cooling systems are one of the best inventions of our times! Sleep is widely underrated and underappreciated, but you spend 1/3 of your entire life laying on your mattress, and should consider investing some money on making it comfortable. Bed cooling systems are mattress pads, whole mattresses, or air-powered bed sheets that adjust the temperature of your mattress and/or sheets to help regulate your body temperature. By providing a cool surface to sleep on (or in), you can make your hot weather sleep environment very comfortable.
Click here to compare the market’s most powerful bed cooling (and heating) systems.
Use a lightweight duvet or sheet
Opt for a lightweight duvet or sheet instead of heavy blankets or comforters. Layering with lightweight bedding allows you to adjust and find the right level of cover to stay comfortable, as you can expect to get cooler as the night advances, and will likely appreciate a lightweight duvet to pull on top of your body at some point during the night.
Bedding materials by cool-sleeping standards
Let’s take a look at the most popular bedding materials available on the market today, and how they perform on hot nights:
4. Stay Hydrated and Cool Your Body
Keeping your body hydrated and cool before bed can improve your chances of a restful night’s sleep. Did you know that staying hydrated to healthy levels helps your body regulate its temperature, prevent infections, and keep your organs healthy, amongst many other benefits. Consider these ideas:
Drink plenty of water
Stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking at least 11 cups of water for women, and 16 for men. While water is best, your hydration can come from fruits, coffee, tea, or even flavored water, as long as you stay away from sugar-sweetened drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin waters. Make sure to drink a glass of cold water before bed, as hydration helps regulate your body temperature and promotes better sleep.
Take a cool shower or bath
A refreshing shower or bath before bed can lower your body temperature, making it easier to fall asleep and stay cool throughout the night. Ensure you do not take a cold shower, however, as it invigorates your body and tends to give you energy, which is counter-productive to sleep. A cool shower, however, is a great way to lower your body’s temperature and induce sleep.
Use cold compresses or wet towels
Wet compresses or towel, and put them in the fridge shortly, then apply cold compresses or damp towels on your forehead, neck, wrists, or groins to help cool your body down before sleep. Those areas have blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, and keeping them cold will help quickly lower the temperature of your body.
How To Sleep In Hot Weather Without AC
Sleeping comfortably in hot weather without air conditioning is possible with a little planning and the right strategies. By creating a cool sleeping environment, optimizing airflow and ventilation to keep the air moving, choosing appropriate bedding, and staying hydrated, you can enjoy restful nights even during the hottest summer nights.
Experiment with those techniques and find the combination that works best for you, ensuring you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead, no matter how high the temperatures rise.
References
- Make Use Of. (2023). 11 DIY Air Conditioners For Staying Cool This Summer. Retrieved from https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/diy-air-conditioners/
- Harvard Chan School of Public Health. (2017). The importance of hydration. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/the-importance-of-hydration/
- Health Line. (2021). Cold Showers Before Bed: Will it Improve Your Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-a-cold-shower-before-bed-affects-your-sleep#cold-shower-effects
- Beaumont Emergency Hospital. (). Fever in Children – 3 Tips to Reduce Temperature. Retrieved from https://beaumonteh.com/fever-in-children-3-tips-to-reduce-temperature/
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Yes, it is possible to sleep comfortably in hot weather without air conditioning by implementing various strategies to cool down your sleeping environment, keep the air moving, and optimize your comfort.
Open windows and doors during the cooler hours, use fans to get the air moving, place a bowl of ice or a cold damp towel in front of a fan, close curtains and blinds during the day, minimize heat-generating activities and appliances in the room
Yes, lightweight and breathable bedding materials like bamboo, eucalyptus, or linen are ideal for hot weather. These materials allow better airflow and help wick away moisture, keeping you cooler during the night.
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Is it really possible to sleep comfortably in hot weather without air conditioning?
Yes, it is possible to sleep comfortably in hot weather without air conditioning by implementing various strategies to cool down your sleeping environment, keep the air moving, and optimize your comfort.
What are some effective strategies for cooling down a room without AC?
Open windows and doors during the cooler hours, use fans to get the air moving, place a bowl of ice or a cold damp towel in front of a fan, close curtains and blinds during the day, minimize heat-generating activities and appliances in the room
Are there specific bedding materials that are better suited for hot weather?
Yes, lightweight and breathable bedding materials like bamboo, eucalyptus, or linen are ideal for hot weather. These materials allow better airflow and help wick away moisture, keeping you cooler during the night.
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Laura Georgieff
Laura is a mother of three who did not sleep through the night for the first 5.5 years of her kids' lives. She is passionate about sleep quality and loves sharing her experience and knowledge of all thing bedding! It is her mission to help you make the best decisions when it comes to sleep and help you get the best deal on the market!
