Dr Sarah Jarvis Summer sleeping
We’ve spent months shivering in unseasonably cold spring. Now we finally have some summer weather – great for being able to get outside in the fresh air but bad news for sleeping. Sometimes poor sleep is down to a medical condition,, sometimes it’s yyour hormones, and sometimes it’s stress. But whatever the cause, hot weather can make sleep problems worse. If you’re struggling to sleep in the heat some simple steps can ensure a good night’s sleep…
Along with hot flushes, night sweats are one of the classic symptoms of the menopause. m Even in co ool weather, you may wake w at night drenched in n sweat. Menopausal sy ymptoms tend to be most m marked in the few years y around the menopause m (average age a 51), but can start several s years earlier and a go on for several years after your periods stop. A minority of women never stop having hot flushes.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms. It’s not without risks – up to 1 in 50 women who take HRT for 5 years could develop breast cancer as a result – but to put it the other way, that means 98% of women won’t develop cancer. If your life is blighted by hot flushes and night sweats, or other symptoms like joint pains, “brain fog”, dry skin or mood swings, speak to your doctor.
Less commonly, an overactive thyroid gland can result in heat intolerance, along with weight loss despite normal appetite, anxiety, tremor and diarrhoea. Sleep problems – including difficulty getting to sleep, disturbed sleep or waking early, can also be a symptom of depression, so speak to your doctor.
More commonly, difficulty in sleeping in hot weather is just down to the fact that the ideal temperature for you to sleep is about 18.3°C. Your core body temperature naturally drops during sleep. This is partly courtesy of a hormone called melatonin, which regulates your body clock – and hot weather can disrupt this process.
Cooling down before you get into bed can help you drift off. A lukewarm shower or bath before bed cools your body directly and helps reduce skin temperature. Air-drying, rather than drying with a towel, also helps you lose heat
CONSIDER A FAN, EXCEPT IN REALLY HOT WEATHER, ABOVE ABOUT 35 °C. ABOVE THIS, A FAN COULD MAKE YOU EVEN HOTTER
as the water evaporates.
A cool bedroom will also help. When it’s hotter outside than inside during the day, keep windows and curtains closed. Open them in the evening to let in cool air and a breeze. If it’s not safe or quiet enough to sleep with bedroom windows open, open your bedroom door and windows in your home that can be safely opened, to allow a draught.
Putting your socks in the fridge before bed or filling a hot water bottle with ice cool liquid and cooling your sheets down both help. Cotton sheets absorb sweat and stay cooler than synthetic ones.
Caffeine has a reputation for perking you up if you need to stay awake – and with good reason. If you ever have problems sleeping, it’s worth avoiding coffee, tea (apart from decaffeinated or herb versions), chocolate, colas or energy drinks in the evening. In hot weather, it’s worth avoiding them from as early as mid-afternoon.
Do keep your fluid intake up during the day, though, with non-caffeinated drinks. Try not to drink them too close to bedtime, to avoid the need for too many night-time bathroom visits. However, don’t be tempted to drink alcohol – you may think it helps you get to sleep, but your sleep won’t be as refreshing and you’re likely to wake earlier.
Finally, if you do have problems sleeping, don’t panic. Poor sleep can lead to a vicious cycle of anxiety, which leaves you wide awake. It’s the UK – it won’t be hot for long and you will sleep again! NEXT WEEK: Talking about vaginal health