Can't sleep in the heat? 8 tricks that could save your night

Tossing and turning for hours on a hot night is not just frustrating — it reflects a real physiological obstacle. For the body to slip into deep sleep, core body temperature needs to drop slightly. When room temperature blocks that drop, sleep becomes fragmented and the deep, restorative stages shrink.

Sleep scientists say the key to protecting sleep on hot nights is stopping the home from overheating in the first place. Here are eight practical tricks experts recommend:

1. Close blinds and curtains from the moment the sun rises. Letting direct sunlight into a room can raise its temperature by several degrees within hours, and that heat lingers in walls and furniture through the night.

2. Ventilate the home once the air outside cools — typically late at night or early morning — by opening windows. Cross-ventilation is one of the most effective ways to swap hot indoor air for cooler outdoor air.

3. Avoid heat-producing appliances such as ovens, tumble dryers or irons during the hottest hours of the day. These can noticeably raise a home's indoor temperature even without air conditioning running.

4. Move to the coolest room in the home where possible, usually a lower floor or a room that gets no direct sun. Upper-floor rooms tend to stay warmer because hot air rises.

5. Choose light, breathable fabrics such as cotton or linen over heavy synthetic bedding. These materials absorb sweat and allow the body to shed heat more effectively.

6. Use fans strategically — positioning one facing an open window can draw cooler outside air in, while one directed at the bed can speed up sweat evaporation for a cooling effect.

7. Apply ice packs or cold compresses, wrapped in a towel rather than placed directly on skin, to pulse points such as the wrists, neck or ankles to cool the body quickly without irritating the skin.

8. Take a lukewarm — not ice-cold — shower before bed. As the moisture evaporates from the skin afterwards, it helps cool the body while also supporting the natural drop in core temperature that eases the transition into sleep.

Experts stress that none of these measures will match the effect of air conditioning, but they can meaningfully soften the impact of hot nights for people without access to it, or those looking to limit energy costs. The most important step, they add, is starting these measures earlier in the day while it is still cool, since keeping a room cool from the outset is far easier than cooling one down after it has already heated up.