Struggling To Sleep In The Heat? These Expert Tips Could Help

It can be tricky to get a good night’s sleep in the summer, when the temperatures are high and the air is humid.

To help ensure you get enough rest, the experts at Panda London are sharing their top tips to make your bedroom more comfortable in the heat and the unexpected tricks you can try to cool yourself down.

Dr. Seeta Shah, medical expert at Panda London, explains: “It is not enough to just keep your room cool; it is essential to cool your body’s internal temperature. You can do this by running your wrists and the back of your neck under cold water before bed, such as when you are brushing your teeth. These areas have blood vessels close to the skin, so cooling them helps cool your whole bloodstream quickly.

“Other ways to cool your body include keeping a spray bottle of ice-cold water by your bedside; you can give yourself a light mist if you wake up hot in the night or pop a slightly damp sheet or wet flannel over your torso. This works surprisingly well as an evaporative cooler.”

Tamir Teitelbaum, Founder of Panda London, says: “When a heatwave strikes, your bedding could be trapping more heat than you realize. Bamboo bedding could be the secret to getting a good night’s sleep, thanks to its exceptional thermoregulating properties. Its naturally breathable fibers allow air to circulate more freely through bedsheets and duvets, preventing heat from becoming trapped.

This helps regulate your body temperature throughout the night, creating a cooler and more comfortable sleeping environment. Another key benefit of bamboo bedding is its moisture-wicking ability. Bamboo fabric helps draw sweat away from the skin and allows it to evaporate quickly, enhancing its natural cooling effect and helping you stay dry while you sleep. If heat is still disrupting your sleep after switching to bamboo bedding, a mattress topper with thermoregulating properties is worth considering. It adds another layer of cooling directly beneath you, where your body generates the most heat, helping keep you cool overnight.

Dr Seeta says: “If you’ve tried everything and you’re still sleeping badly, take a leaf out of our Spanish neighbours’ book and build a lunchtime or early evening nap into your routine. Just 30 minutes of shuteye can leave you feeling noticeably sharper and more alert. It also helps claw back any sleep you’ve lost overnight, easing the anxiety that so often comes with a bad night’s rest.

“One simple way to fit this in is to push your lunch break back to later in the afternoon. That way, you can grab a quick bite and then nap right as the post-lunch slump hits, when you’re already primed to drift off. Alternatively, an early evening nap lets you dodge the peak afternoon heat, making it that bit easier to properly switch off.”

Tamir says: “During a heatwave, freezing a top sheet or pillow for a few hours before bed is a simple way to cool down your sleep space without having to use fans or air conditioning all night. The chill helps lower your body temperature faster, which can make it easier to fall asleep in sticky, humid weather.

“It works well with bamboo sheets, since bamboo is naturally breathable and moisture-wicking. This means it helps maintain that cooling feeling for longer without trapping heat or sweat the way synthetic fabrics can. Simply, place your bedding or pillow in a sealed bag before freezing it, then pop it back on your bed right before you turn in, and you get a few extra degrees of relief exactly when you need it most.”