For all of winter’s drawbacks, there’s always the comfort of getting under the warm covers at night. When the heat and humidity of summer set in, however, that same cozy bed can feel a little stifling.
From the longer daylight hours to the sweltering temperatures, the sunniest of seasons has the ability to send our sleep schedules into a tailspin. There’s even science to back it up. According to research, the increased sun exposure of summertime can cause delayed melatonin release, making it hard to get to sleep — and stay asleep.
Don’t even get us started on the nightmare that is getting a good night's rest when you’re so warm that lingering by the open freezer door sounds tempting. The good news is, with a few small tweaks, you can snooze peacefully all through the summer months.
Change-up Your Bedding
In order to get a sound night of sleep, your body’s core temperature needs to cool down by about one degree — which is no easy feat when it’s about a million degrees outside. If you haven’t already, it’s time to ditch the warm winter duvet in favor of light and breathable fabrics, like cotton, flax linen, or bamboo sheets.
Lightweight Pajamas
If there was ever a time to sleep in the nude, it’s now. But if that’s not your style, we’ve got you covered. Our super soft modal cotton pajamas are lightweight, cozy, and barely there — whether you’re crawling into bed in our dreamy nightgown or cami-short combo. For an extra cooling effect, apparently putting your pajamas in the freezer for a few hours before bed is a thing.
Cool Down
The cool night air can work wonders, so open those windows wide and allow the breeze to circulate through your space before bed. If you’re among the fortunate who have air conditioning, cool down your space to a crisp 65 degrees (the ideal temperature for sleep). When all else fails, crank your fan up a notch and doze off with the help of its chilled air and white noise.
Stick to a Sleep Schedule
Summer’s laissez-faire vibe can make it enticing to throw your sleep schedule out the window. Even as full-on adults, there’s just something about the season that makes us revert back to that “school’s out for summer” mentality. The days are longer — and so are the patio happy-hours. But messing with your body’s natural circadian rhythm can seep into how well you sleep, and how good (read: terrible) you feel when you wake up.
Go ahead and soak up all the summer fun, just try to make sure you’re going to bed and waking up around the same time each day. Of course, it’s no biggie if you have a late night now and again so long as you’ve forged a rhythm for your body to ease back into.
Limit Evening Light Exposure
Melatonin is that magically sleepy hormone your brain secretes to signal to your body it’s time to turn the lights out. The only problem is, it only gets triggered when it’s dark out. As much as we’re loving those extra hours of daylight, we don’t always love what it does for our sleep schedule.
As we approach the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), remnants of daylight can linger until 10pm (or even later, depending on where you are). Once you’ve gotten your fill of sunlight, don’t be shy to draw the curtains in the evening and cue the sleep hormones that will help you get into bed at a reasonable hour.