Freezing your bed sheets... and other ways to sleep in this heat

Cursing the hot weather for preventing your beauty sleep? Check out these (at times unusual) ideas for sleeping better during this heatwave

The White Company bedroom
(Image credit: The White Company)

BBQ’s, beer gardens and flips flops for days on end. Yep, this UK heatwave is all fun and games until it comes to getting a good night’s sleep and as we lie in bed with fans whirring ineffectively nearby, sheets on the floor, sweating profusely, we find ourselves daming this crazy weather. So what’s the solution to getting a good night’s sleep in the heat? Check these top tips to help you out when it’s too hot to sleep…

Wear the right PJs

While it may be tempting to strip off entirely, it’s actually better to sleep in thin cotton pyjamas that let the skin breathe and will soak up any excess sweat (yum.) Also make sure your bedsheets are made of a light natural, material too.

Freeze your sheets

Really. Pop your sheets in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for a few minutes before bed for icy cool bedding. If your freezer isn’t big enough to store your sheets then try it with your pillowcase instead. 

Keep curtains and blinds closed

Throwing your curtains open in the morning to let in more air may be a good idea after a stuffy night’s sleep but make sure you close blinds or curtains when you leave for the day. It sounds obvious but the more sunshine coming into your home, the hotter it will be.

The White Company bedding

(Image credit: The White Company)

Make a cold water bottle

Fill up your hot water bottles with ice and chilled water and place it on your pulse points, such as the neck, wrists and ankles to cool your overall body temperature. Or you could put it in the freezer and bring it to bed with you.

Sleep downstairs

Hot air rises so if your bedroom is on the second floor or in the loft it might be worth attempting to sleep downstairs. 

Invest in a mattress cooling pad

As much as we love the comfort of a memory foam mattress some retain your body heat. Fortunately, the mattress market has taken note, and now there’s a huge array of cooling pads or cooling toppers that work to regulate the temperature of your bed. 

Bedroom by The White Company

(Image credit: The White Company)

Leave your bedroom doors open 

You might have your windows open as wide as physically possible but to keep a room really cool you need air to travel through the space. Keeping doors open will create more of a breeze. 

Sleep alone

Two bodies = twice the body heat. Consider (temporarily) saying goodbye to your other half so you can both get a better night’s sleep. 

Keep hydrated

It goes without saying, the more you sweat the more you should drink. Have a glass of water before you go to sleep and keep an extra glass by your bed.

Use this nifty fan hack 

That budget desktop fan just not doing it for you? Basically all it’s doing is circulating hot air around your room, so try filling a mixing bowl with some icy water or ice pack and place it in front of the fan so it pushes the cooler air around the room instead.

Hebe Hatton

Hebe joined the Real Homes team in early 2018 as Staff Writer before moving to the Livingetc team in 2021 where she took on a role as Digital Editor. She loves boho and 70's style and is a big fan of Instagram as a source of interiors inspiration. When she isn't writing about interiors, she is renovating her own spaces – be it wallpapering a hallway, painting kitchen cupboards or converting a van.

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