How to Sleep Cool This Summer

Disclosure: I am a Serta brand ambassador and am compensated for my participation in the program and receive complimentary product for review. 

Those of us in So Cal are fortunate to experience pretty moderate temps year round, which means many homes in our area don’t have AC. Most days you don’t need it, but when those heat waves strike, well, they can make for some pretty miserable nights.

Serta Mattresses, maker of the iComfort memory foam mattresses made of Cool Action Gel Memory Foam, along with the experts at the National Sleep Foundation have some great tips on how to sleep cooler on hot nights.

If you have any secrets up your sleeve on how you sleep better (and help your kids sleep better) when it’s hot, please comment below!

10 Tips on How to Sleep Cooler on Hot Nights

1. Keep your bedroom hotel-dark during the day.

Use shades or blinds to reduce exposing your bedroom to excessive sunlight during the day, which can make it harder to cool off at night.  Specialty shades help control heat while still letting sunlight in. Keep the windows closed if the outside temp is much hotter than inside. If nighttime temps are cooler outside, open up.

2. Switch to seasonal top of bed items for summer.

This includes pillows, sheets, comforters etc.  For the summer, materials should be very breathable so as not to absorb heat. Check out Serta’s line of iComfort accessories, including their iComfort pillows, sheets and mattress protectors.

3. As cute as your pet is, encourage him/her to sleep somewhere other than your bed!

When your pets cuddle up against you, it may be sweet but it can disrupt your sleep and cause you to get hot during the summer.  Treat your 4-legged friend to a pet bed so he/she can have a luxurious sleep experience all their own.  FYI, Serta makes comfy pet beds!

4. Cool down your body before bed.

If you work out before bedtime, make sure you aren’t too hot right before you go to sleep by drinking water and relaxing. Some people also find a shower or bath before bedtime or going to bed with your hair wet can help cool you down.

5. Remember, heat rises.

If your bedroom is upstairs, it might be cooler to sleep downstairs on those blistering hot nights.

6. Make use of fans!

Ceiling fans and floor fans will help keep the air moving. Open your bedroom door so there is a path for air to flow. Some people recommend placing a bowl of ice cubes in the path of the airflow to cool down the air being blown around the room (taking precaution to not have the water too close to the fan of course.)

7. Make cool compresses.

Freeze a damp washcloth that can be used on the neck and forehead as a cool compress or, if you didn’t think to make one earlier, use a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack instead.

8. Hydrate.

Hot temps mean you sweat and lose both water and electrolytes. Make sure to replenish both so you don’t become dehydrated.

9. Lighten up.

Light pajamas or (um, no pajamas) are a great option. Look for materials that wick away sweat.

10. Use a mister.

Some have found being sprayed by a plant mister with water to create a fine mist can help.

I hope you have found some of these how to sleep cooler on hot nights tips helpful. And, again, if you have something you do for yourself and your family when it is hot, please share and help other moms out!