Sleep Well In Summer

Our Health Writer, Colleen Shannon, has some tips to help you slumber. Wake up feeling well rested

WE all know that awful feeling after you’ve had a poor night’s sleep. It’s hard to concentrate and get things done, and it can make you feel so grumpy. Poor sleep can also affect our mental health, or appear as a symptom of depression or anxiety.

The right amount of sleep is vital for your physical health.

Sleep may help to protect us against heart disease, obesity and diabetes, and may even help us enjoy a longer life.

Yet at this time of year, shorter and hotter nights can make it harder to sleep well. To find out what we can do, I asked Lisa Artis, head of the Sleep Council, for her top tips.

It’s helpful to understand the normal sleep pattern, and why it’s not unusual to wake up during the night.

“Our sleep runs in about ninetyminute cycles, and within each cycle we go through different stages of sleep,” Lisa told me.

“These are punctuated with brief awakenings.

“As we go through the night we spend more time in lighter sleep, which is why brief awakenings can feel more pronounced.”

Keeping to a daily routine and getting plenty of natural daylight during your waking hours helps your body clock stay on schedule.

Practising meditation or mindfulness techniques during the day can help to lower anxiety, which may contribute to racing thoughts when you’re trying to sleep.

On nights when the weather is hot, you can do a lot to make your environment more comfortable and promote sleep.

Open windows and doors to allow cool air to flow through your bedroom.

It also helps to open your loft hatch if you have one. Hot air travels upwards, and doing this gives it somewhere to go.

Be kind to your body by avoiding too much caffeine, alcohol and big meals before bedtime.

This heads off dehydration and an overactive digestion during the night. Also, drink plenty of water during the day and keep some in a glass by your bedside.

Before you turn in for the night, you could pop your pillowcase in the fridge for a while.

You can also buy special cooling pillows if this appeals to you.

While you are in the kitchen, put your hot-water bottle to work by filling it with ice-cold water, so you can take it to bed with you to help keep you comfortably cool.

If you’re feeling hot in the evening, a cool shower or bath before bedtime lowers your core body temperature. It’s best to sleep in cotton nightwear. It is actually cooler than sleeping in the nude because natural fabrics absorb perspiration while you sleep.

Then slip between your cool cotton sheets, leaving off the duvet if it’s hot.

For more ideas, you will find a wealth of information on every aspect of sleep at the Sleep Council website at www.sleepcouncil.org.uk. ■