The hottest part of the year is upon us, and while the weather has still been a little bit unpredictable (causing mud baths at Glastonbury), hot, dry days are sure to be something we can look forward to in the coming weeks. Of course, one of the downsides of the beautiful sunny weather is that at night, it can be difficult to sleep. Since most UK homes don’t even entertain the idea of having air conditioning installed because the costs outweigh how many overly hot days we tend to get in a year, we don’t usually have this as an option to get our bedrooms down to a comfortable temperature for sleep. Also, if your bedroom has the type of windows that will open only a small amount using window actuators or by sliding, then you can’t simply throw the windows open wide to let in more fresh air. If you do throw open your windows because you have the right type of windows to do this, you then, of course, have to worry about bugs.
So, if you are not looking forward to trying to sleep on the hot, sweaty nights to come this summer, what can you do to make your bedroom more comfortable?
Crisp, Light Linens | Some people prefer to throw off the covers altogether when it is really hot, but others feel like they can’t sleep without some form of cover over them. Whichever camp you fall into, you want linens on your bed that are not made of synthetic materials that are going to stop your skin breathing and make you sweat more. Even without a cover the sheet you sleep on top of should be made of a breathable cotton. Choose high thread count cottons if you prefer a smooth, satin-like feel and sheen, rather than synthetic satin style sheets. Also, use pillows filled with natural fibres like feathers rather than synthetic, non breathable foams. You’ll probably want to change your sheets more regularly at this time of year because you sweat at night, so buy a few sets you can switch between while one set is drying.
Fans | A ceiling fan is the best for circulating air in your bedroom, but if you don’t want to install one of these, standing fans placed around the room or desk style fans on surfaces can make a big difference. Try and position them so that they are moving around the fresh air from the window.
Remove Clutter | The more free space there is in your room, the airier it will feel, and fresh air from outside and air circulated by fans can move more easily. Push furniture close to your bed against the wall and consider moving things that create obstacles in your bedroom like laundry hampers, foot stools, lamps and floor cushions into other rooms for the hottest part of the year. The barer the room is, the cooler it will feel.
These are just a few ways to try and make your bedroom more comfortable through the hottest time of the year in the UK.
