A Summertime Guide to Sleep Well and Stay Healthy

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Do you look forward to lavish summers?

The burning daylight at Cornish beaches, travelling around Dartmoor, or gathering the family together for a BBQ… I’m sure there’s a myriad of other things you can add to the list.

What most people struggle with during summer, however, is getting adequate sleep.

Heatwaves, longer days, early morning sunrises and late-night activities of noisy neighbours can destabilise your healthy sleep pattern.

The good news is that there’s always something you can do to prevent inconveniences from robbing you of your much-needed summer sleep.

What makes good sleep quality?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, young adults should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night, whereas older adults need at least 7-8 hours.

A healthy sleeping pattern helps you stay energised and ready for the sprightly plans you have for the summer season. It also improves your overall mood, creativity, and learning.

Unfortunately, maintaining a healthy sleep routine is harder than it sounds, especially in the summer.

The ideal temperature for sleeping is between 16-18°C—something that isn’t easy to achieve in hotter months.

Articles are published every year about a surge of sleeping problems, particularly during heatwaves. Searches on Google for “sleep in hot weather” and “sleep in summer” also shoot up in the months of June, July, and August.

What makes good sleep quality

Ignoring the effects of hot weather on your sleeping pattern results in consequences, like:

  • High blood pressure

  • Low energy

  • Impaired mood

  • Weakened immune system

  • Weight gain

  • Poor concentration

  • Higher risk of diabetes, heart attack, or stroke

9 tips to get a good night’s sleep in summer

To stabilise your sleeping pattern in the summertime, here are nine tips you should try:

Choose cool bedding

1. Choose cool bedding

Bedding materials like wool, synthetic sheets, cotton fleece, and other non-breathable fabrics trap heat and make sleeping uncomfortable during the summer months.

Replace your beddings with breathable materials like cotton, linen, or rayon to keep your body cool. It also helps to go for premium bed mattresses constructed with materials that don’t absorb heat.

Furl storage beds come with a range of fantastic mattresses that suit your needs. The “Gel 1800” mattress, for example, uses a combination of wool, cashmere, silk, and Belgian damask that regulates temperature to make shut-eyes effortless.

Alternatively, you can purchase cooling mattress toppers to allow comfortable sleeping during toasty summer nights. These products help prevent heat buildup during sleep as well as alleviate back and side pains.

2. Open windows with closed blinds

If you need to sleep during the day, a simple trick is to open windows to improve the air circulation in your bedroom.

Just keep the curtains closed to prevent direct sunlight from seeping in raising the room’s temperature.

Remember, direct sunlight suppresses the body’s production of melatonin—AKA the sleep hormone. That’s why keeping the blinds shut triggers drowsiness, even if you’re not actively trying to sleep.

3. Declutter your bedroom

Studies show that a messy bedroom can negatively impact people’s ability to sleep. It also makes them more susceptible to sleep disruptions that further worsen their sleep pattern.

Understandably, getting rid of clutter—especially if they have sentimental value or was once considered a high-end product—isn’t easy. You could be hoarding tickets from your most memorable concerts, old books, boxes of gadgets that were trendy or very expensive at launch, and so on.

The problem, however, isn’t always about a person’s tendency to hoard items that others would consider worthless. It has something to do with the lack of effective storage solutions in the bedroom.

There are plenty of bedroom storage ideas that can fix this.

One example is to purchase a handcrafted, tailor-made summer storage bed that will provide you with more space to keep your belongings out of sight.

Our Max storage bed, for instance, can provide you with 38 centimetres of storage height. It’s designed to maximise every inch of space under the bed.

Other smart bedroom storage solutions include:

1) Installing floating shelves

2) Investing in fitted wardrobes

Position a low cabinet at the foot of your bed for extra storage

Declutter your bedroom

4. Use fans wisely

There are plenty of ways to use fans to keep your bedroom’s temperature in check during summer.

If you have at least two fans, control the airflow through your home to prevent trapping heat indoors.

One fan should blow hot air out through an open window. The other fan can circulate cool air inside by facing the general area you want to be cooled.

This creates a “crosswind” that will provide your bedroom with a steady stream of fresh air. Additionally, the white noise that both fans generate drowns out environmental noise and encourages deep sleep.

Another trick is to put a bucket of ice in front of the second fan to instantly cool the air it blows. Create ice in batches or freeze bottles of water so you always have something to cool air with.

Invest in a top of the line sofa bed

5. Invest in a top-of-the-line sofa bed

A sofa bed is more than just a stylish centrepiece. It’s also a life-saver if you lack sleep and the bedroom feels hot and stuffy.

Living areas are usually better ventilated and more spacious than bedrooms. These make the temperature ideal for dozing off.

When shopping for a sofa bed, pay attention to the materials used on the sofa mattress and fabric cover.

Our range of customisable sofa beds can come with memory foam or pocket sprung mattresses. Similar to memory foam, our firm “Reflex” mattress also provides full-body support without any heat retention.

Sofa beds are also perfect for summer days when you’re expecting people over. And if the telly can help you feel drowsy at night, an extremely high-quality sofa bed can be used every day as your primary bed.

There are also sofa beds with built-in storage like our London storage sofa. This makes it easier to tidy up and declutter your living room, making it a more inviting place to nod off.

sofa storage
Blanket storage box

6. Drink plenty of water

Drinking water before going to bed has two important benefits.

First, it allows the body to cool and achieve the temperature conducive to sleep. Second, it keeps you from being dehydrated through the night.

Have a few bottles or a pitcher of water at your bedside. Whenever you feel uncomfortable due to heat or sweat, grab a bottle or glass and rehydrate.

The golden rule is to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. This can come from the tap or other food items like tea, boxed milk, or even coffee.

Pro tip: use a multi-purpose blanket storage box or footstool for storing your beverages. Keep them close so you don’t have to step out into the kitchen whenever you need rehydration.

7. Put your phone on ‘do not disturb’

Instead of nodding off, you might end up browsing social media for around 30 minutes.

Smartphones have virtually endless ways to keep the mind busy and alert. If your phone takes a considerable chunk out of your sleep time, put it down and enable the ‘do not disturb’ mode.

This makes sure you don’t snap out of your drowsiness because of a random notification from a social media app you barely use.

8. Spend time in the summer sun

Regular exposure to the morning sunlight stabilises your body’s sleep pattern, improves your mood, and increases sleep quality.

According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, the more sunlight you get, the better your sleep-wake cycle will be regulated.

There’s plenty of sunlight to go around in the summertime. Make plans for plenty of outdoor activities like backpacking, coasteering, attending festivals, or simply jogging.

Don’t forget to wear sunscreen and have a cool-down ritual when preparing for bed. Take a shower, slide into breathable sleepwear, and have a cup of chamomile tea—anything that induces drowsiness.

9. Have your AC system serviced

If it feels hot despite having your airconditioning in full blast, here’s a checklist of things to do before calling your local repair service:

1)  Check your outdoor unit for blockages (leaves, garbage, yard debris, etc.)

2)  Clean or change the filters

3)  Check the thermostat’s settings and battery

If you don’t already have an AC unit, consider getting one.

Additional tips to get better sleep quality in summer

There are dozens of other tricks you can try to stay cool and get good sleep during the summer:

  • Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
  • Reduce your caffeine intake
  • Take a summer camping trip
  • Listen to soothing music
  • Leave a part of your body uncovered when sleeping (or sleep in the nude)
  • For people with long hair, tie it into a bun
  • Make sure your bed is large enough for you and your partner
  • Wear an eye mask if you want to sleep during the day
  • Keep your bedroom doors closed
  • Avoid bright screens a few hours before sleeping
  • Avoid heavy meals before your bedtime
  • Open your attic hatches to let hot air escape
  • Perform simple cardio exercises if you have nothing else planned
  • Read your favourite book before bed
  • If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, avoid napping during the day

Improve Summer Sleep: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it normal to sleep less in the summer?

Yes, many people sleep fewer hours during the summer months. This can be remedied by changing up your habits and sleeping environment, like decluttering your bedroom and drinking a sufficient amount of water.

2. Why is my body so hot at night?

Your body temperature during the night is part of your natural circadian rhythm (internal body clock), which helps regulate your sleep cycle. If this prevents you from getting good sleep, switch to cooler beddings and breathable sleepwear.

3. Is it safe to sleep in hot weather?

As long as the temperature is within a reasonable scale, you can sleep while it’s hot. But it may lead to poor sleep quality unless you make adjustments to your sleeping environment.

4. How can I cool down in bed at night?

Without air conditioning, there are a couple of ways to stay cool in bed in the summer:

  • Use breathable fabrics like linen, silk, rayon, and cotton

  • Drink plenty of water

  • Keep your doors closed and windows open

  • Use fans to improve airflow

  • Leave part of your body uncovered

Sleep better in the summer with Furl

The summer season is one of the best times to upgrade your bedroom furniture. Contact us if you need a modern, comfortable bed or sofa bed customised for the summer heat.