5 Tips to Get Sound Sleep on Long Summer Days

When the body is hot, it can be frustrating trying to find a cool position to fall asleep. Long summer days can often result in a bad night’s sleep. If you lack air conditioning or enough airflow into your room, then you might find it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. 

Should you often experience poor sleep during the summer months, then use this guide to help you achieve better sleep on long summer days.

Why is it harder to sleep in the summer?

When you go to sleep, your body naturally drops in temperature. Most often, people experience a two-degree Celsius drop in body temperature throughout the night. 

When the air is cool around you, your body will naturally drop in temperature, which will help you sleep. However, when the air is warmer, your body might find it more difficult to reduce in temperature, which may hinder your ability to get to sleep.

The ideal sleeping temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be difficult to achieve during the summer months when the temperatures exceed 100 during the day. 

Furthermore, more daylight hours, which is unavoidable in summer, means that our brains are active for longer. When the nights are darker, we can feel more rested and ready for sleep. However, when it is lighter for longer, then it can be difficult to switch off at a reasonable time. 

Also, melatonin is an essential hormone that contributes to good sleep. Melatonin levels increase when it’s dark, which aids good sleep. When the sun comes up, our melatonin levels naturally decrease, which helps us wake up. Therefore, with the days being lighter for longer, this means our melatonin will be much lower. Hence, it will feel more challenging to get to sleep.

Other factors that can contribute to the summer months causing poor sleep could be because of a busier lifestyle, stress from being too hot, and more.

Therefore, you might be looking for answers on how to get sound sleep on a long summer’s day. 

5 tips to get sound sleep on long summer days

If you find yourself tossing and turning in your sleep after a long day in the sun, or a warm day inside, then here are the 5 best tips to help you get a sound sleep.

1. Keep a routine

A good and consistent routine should help your body and brain know when it’s time to sleep. This could mean getting in bed by 9 pm, switching off all devices, and trying to sleep by 10 pm. Then, you should have an alarm set so that you get enough sleep and avoid oversleeping.

Likewise, a routine might consist of relaxation techniques and rituals, which help you get to sleep. This could include calming music, meditation, or writing. Any relaxation technique that helps your mind and body feel restful is good to practice before bed, especially if they help you fall asleep. 

This routine should be kept up when it’s hot, no matter how different your lifestyle and routine might be during the lighter and warmer months. Sticking to a routine will maintain your sleep-wake cycle and help you maintain good sleep throughout any season. 

2. Decrease your exposure to light 

Seeing as exposure to light can affect our melatonin levels, it will help to decrease your exposure so that you can attain an increase in melatonin. This will let your mind and body know that it is time for bed. Hence, you will be able to fall asleep at a reasonable time and get to sleep much quicker.

3. Keep your room cool

The room needs to be cool enough in order for you to sleep. You might eventually fall asleep when the room is hot. But, you will likely have fewer hours and a night of interrupted sleep. 

Therefore, it is a good idea to keep your room cool with a fan, air conditioning unit, or keeping the windows open. If you can get your room as close to 65 degrees Fahrenheit as possible, then you will likely enjoy a sound sleep. 

4. Use lightweight fabrics

You might enjoy sleeping with no duvet cover in the summer months. However, a lack of cover might not help you feel comforted and relaxed. Even a small and lightweight blanket can give you that comfort and sleep familiarity that you need in order to get a good sleep. 

The best fabrics to use are linen and cotton, as these are breathable and will not contribute to how hot you are. 

Moreover, wear lightweight fabrics as these will also help to keep you cool. Anything loose that allows air to pass through will keep you cool throughout your sleep. 

5. Try relaxation techniques 

Relaxation techniques help to calm the mind, which in turn, can calm the body. Some great relaxation techniques to help you achieve calm after a hot summer’s day when you are trying to sleep include:

• Meditating in front of a fan. If you are hot or warm, meditation should be done in a cool place so that the practice isn’t disrupted. 
• A cool shower. A warm bath will only make you hotter. Therefore, have a cool shower before bed to help you cool down. 

In Summary

To conclude, there are some great techniques to try to help you get sound sleep on long summer days. Simply maintaining a good routine and using lighter weight covers can help you stay cool, calm, and collected. This mood and temperature can help you drift off into a good sleep and stay asleep without disruptions. Avoiding stressful, light, and/or hot situations before bed will ensure to not leave you feeling frustrated and irritable when you are trying to get to sleep.