Summer is not far away now, and with it, the hot temperatures that cause many of us to toss and turn and struggle to sleep most nights. We all need our rest, but soaring temperatures during the middle of the year can sometimes make that seem next to impossible. It’s vital to know some ways to help you stay cool and get to sleep and stay that way if you want to be more productive, happy, and relaxed this summer.

Change Your Mattress

It can be hard enough to sleep at night in summer when the temperature’s high without having a mattress which compounds the problem. Unfortunately, some products, such as latex and memory foam, tend to be hotter than others, typically because we sink into them more or because the materials are denser and trap our body heat more.

To stay cooler, it’s wise to purchase an affordable mattress made from breathable, hypoallergenic materials that will help you stay comfortable and not sweat too much. Also, choose light bedding options and avoid using quilts or blankets, etc., even if you like the cuddle factor of these products. Plus, you might like to try the ancient Egyptian technique of sleeping in slightly damp sheets to stay cooler.

Have a Cool Shower Before Bed

It’s hard to get and stay cool at night if you’re already hot from exercise, preparing meals in a warm kitchen, or otherwise moving about. As such, it helps to have a nice cool or even slightly warm shower to lower your body temperature. Keep the water temperature low but not too icy since going too cold can decrease blood flow to the skin and reduce heat loss, which means you’ll feel hotter again in a few minutes.

Other related options include sitting in a cool or warm bath or wiping yourself down with a cool, damp washer or small towel. Any of these steps will help you feel much fresher and less sticky and hot as a result.

Keep Blinds and Curtains Closed During the Day

Next, you’ll likely find that your home is more comfortable when you return from work if you keep the blinds, curtains, shutters, etc., closed during the day while you’re out. You want to avoid having the sun shine directly through windows and into rooms, warming them up for hours at a time. Making this change can have a positive impact on the temperature within your home and help you stay cooler each night.

If you still want to let some air in during the day, Venetian blinds can be helpful as you can adjust them to an angle that reflects much of the sunlight away from the interiors but still lets some light and air in. Also, keep in mind that swapping darker fabric or dark-hued blinds for light, white ones can also help to reflect the sun away and keep your property from heating up too much.

Open Windows at Night

If your home gets good breezes, you will likely find you can stay a lot cooler at night simply by opening a bunch of windows in your property. Try to open multiple ones to achieve a cross-breeze, and especially get some air into your bedroom to help you sleep better. If you have windows on opposite sides of the room, for instance, opening both should aid in cooling the room and, in turn, you down. Alternatively, opening windows in an adjacent area of your home, if needed, can assist with letting the breeze flow through.

Utilize Fans and Air Conditioning

Of course, sometimes it doesn’t matter what we do, we end up dealing with an exceptionally high temperature and a still night, meaning nothing we try gets our rooms any cooler. In these situations, it’s wise to utilize ceiling and floor fans. They can help circulate the air and move the hot air around to lower the temperature in general. If you have a fan over your bed, this is particularly handy and should help you sleep.

If fans aren’t enough, you may also need to use air conditioning. Most people find that putting these units on for an hour or two does enough to cool things down, so you likely won’t need to run the products all night except for the most extreme weather periods.

Other tips you can try to avoid getting too hot and bothered at night in summer include sleeping naked or wearing light, breathable clothing, not exercising too close to bedtime, and eating cooler foods at night rather than hot or spicy items. Plus, switch off electronics and other appliances when not in use as these can make your home hotter. The more steps you take to keep yourself feeling cooler, the better you should sleep.