Have you ever been too hot to sleep? You toss and turn and flip over your pillow to the cool side at least half a dozen times, but it still takes you hours to fall asleep.
And then, when you finally do, it's the kind of sleep that leaves you feeling half-dead in the morning.
Sucks.
This happens because your body actually needs to cool down a couple of degrees before you can fall asleep. Ensuring the temperature of your bedroom is conducive to this key process is one on of the best ways to fall asleep fast and improve sleep quality.
Your core body temperature goes through fluctuations all through the day, and about when it's time for you to go to sleep, it drops all the way down.
Most days, it does this easily.
But when it's hot, it's harder for the body to disperse the heat and you end up lying in bed, staring at the cobwebs in the corner, for hours.
However, when you make it easy for your body to drop down those few degrees, you fall asleep a lot faster, and you are able to go into the deepest states of sleep.
Here are a couple of things you can do to help your body along.
Lower your thermostat
If you have a thermostat, or any air conditioning that you can leave on while you sleep, lower it.
It's easy to get the right temperature: it just has to be less than your core body temperature, which is usually about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37 degrees Celsius.
Basically, if it feels cool, you've got it right.
Get a fan
If you don't have a thermostat, it might be worth getting a fan. Point it towards your bed, but not directly at your face.
Using a fan is also great because it provides white noise, which helps many people fall asleep.
Invest in temperature regulating products
There's a new market opened up for products that regulate temperature during sleep.
For instance, there are beds that have cooling systems inside them that use less electricity than standard air conditioners. If you are often too hot to sleep, it's definitely worth looking into.
Just experiment with a few different temperatures, and see what temperature helps you sleep best!
Integrate other sleep-promoting habits into your evening schedule
Any calming ritual is a great way to ease your body into relaxation. Try listening to music before bed. Or, instead of binge watching your favorite TV show, listen to a soothing podcast.
