Getting sufficient sleep can be a challenge when temperatures are high, and following these nine tips will hopefully aid the chances of drifting off

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The UK has experienced some big heatwaves this summer. After an unprecedented red weather warning for parts of the country in July, another amber warning has been put in place for the end of this week due to scorching temperatures.

One of the most challenging parts of living through a heatwave is ensuring you get enough sleep. In the absence of air-con, keeping our bedrooms cool is an important part of surviving the night.

This year’s unusually warm weather has given us all plenty of practice sleeping in the heat, with many useful nuggets picked up along the way. By following these tips, hopefully you’ll be able to get a better night’s kip in hot conditions

Read more: Heavy rain and 'possible disruption' forecast for Dorset during 18-hour thunderstorm weather warning

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to keep your bedroom (or any room for that matter) cool is to close the curtains. There’s nothing worse than walking into your room at the end of the day to be faced with a wave of unbearable heat, similar to the experience of walking off a plane in a hot country.

This can be limited by providing a barrier to the sun and stop it coming in. Similarly, windows facing the sun should be closed as this can let hot air in, although they can be opened just before bedtime to let a breeze in.

The head is one of the body parts most affected by heat. With it being common for people to sweat on their head and face, keeping this area cool can make for a more manageable night.

By freezing a washcloth or a hot water bottle before heading to bed, you will now have something that can be used as a cold compress in your bed.

Another simple way to keep cool is to drink plenty of refreshingly cool liquids. This should be the case throughout the day, aiming to be adequately hydrated before attempting to drift off.

That being said, it’s best to avoid having too much to drink before bed to avoid unwanted trips to the bathroom, while drinks high in caffeine or alcohol content will leave you dehydrated.

This might sound odd to keep cool by getting warm, but a warm shower or bath before bed can help lower your core body temperature. Once you depart the shower or bath, your body will start cooling down and can help you fall asleep faster.

It likely won’t be surprising to learn that heavy meals, as well as spicy food, many not be the most appropriate things to eat on a hot day. Sticking to something light and healthy, such as salad, chicken or fish, should leave you feeling less bloated and warm, hopefully aiding sleep.

If you normally exercise later in the day, this could make sleep harder as there’s less time for your body temperature to cool down before attempting to sleep. It could therefore prove more appropriate in the heat to work out in the morning, which actually has the potential to increase deep sleep.

One product which has seen sales significantly increase over recent weeks is the cooling mattress pad. While this is one of the more pricier ways of getting a cool night’s sleep, they could be the answer to your sleeping difficulties.

Although many of them don’t actually provide active cooling, they are less hot than standard materials.

The most obvious way to replace the lack of air-con is through a clever deployment of fans. Their effect can be enhanced by placing a wet towel or bowl of ice in front of the fans to circulate cooler air.

One of the more extreme methods is to freeze your bed sheets. Where other methods may fail to make the impact needed, cold sheets could be pivotal in helping you stay cool at night.

For the best effect, the sheets should be placed in a bag and frozen for about an hour. Although they will eventually warm back up, they should hopefully stay cold enough to allow you to drift off to sleep.

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