With the summer weather finally here and much of the country under an amber heatwave warning, many will struggle to get a good night's sleep in the sweltering conditions.
Recently, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) and Met Office issued a joint amber heat-health alert for parts of the country including the South East of England and West Midlands.
This warning is in place from 9 am on Friday (June 9) until 9 am on Monday (June 13).
With warm weather set to disrupt our sleep as England record its hottest day of the year so far, here are some tips from MatressNextDay CEO Martin Seely to combat this.
'Tried and tested' ways to get a good night's sleep during a heatwave
Here are the tips for a good night's sleep as revealed by Martin:
Place your pillowcase in the freezer
Placing your pillowcase in the freezer for as little as 15 minutes can do wonders for your sleep, helping to cool you down.
Another top tip is to place a hot water bottle in the freezer for a short amount of time before taking it to bed with you.
Expose yourself to daylight
While this might sound counterintuitive, light plays a vital part in regulating your body's internal clock.
You should expose yourself to sunlight throughout the day to bring on feelings of alertness before gradually closing blinds and curtains to signal to your body that it is time to sleep.
Drink plenty of water
Perhaps one of the more obvious tips of this list, making sure you have drank at least two litres of water will keep you hydrated and may improve your mood and ability to have a good night's sleep.
Switch your duvet to a lighter-coloured one
Switching to a lighter colour and material for your duvet is a great way to regulate your body temperature during a heatwave if you are prone to sweating.
Run your wrists under cold water before bed
When brushing your teeth, try running your wrists under cold water as this quickly cools your body temperature right down.
Stop drinking alcohol before going to bed
While cracking open a cold beer during a warm day is tempting, drinking too close to your bedtime may upset your sleep.
While beer can make us feel sleepy due to its sedative qualities, it is well-known that it can drastically lower your quality of sleep, especially during hotter weather.
Try this best-kept secret and move your bed to this 'secret' location
Placing your bed along the longest wall in the room may improve your sleep quality during a heatwave as being near doors or windows will expose you to more sounds, shadows and light likely to disrupt your sleep, especially if people are out and about.
