Sleep will come easier in hot weather if you follow 1 hour rule before bed

The UK has been basking in an unseasonably hot heatwave this week, and, while conditions are slowly cooling off, above average temperatures are forecast heading into the weekend. The Met Office is forecasting peaks of 32C in some parts of the country on Thursday, May 28, with another warm night on the cards this evening. Friday, while slightly cooler, will still be hotter than average for many, reaching peaks of 28C in the far south east, with much of England and Wales expected to enjoy bright and dry conditions through the day, despite some early cloud and patchy rain. While the warm weather is glorious to enjoy during the day, by the evening the story is quite different, with the heat making sleep uncomfortable and difficult.

The majority of homes in the UK are designed to retain warmth, so keeping rooms cool during bouts of hot weather is notoriously difficult if you aren’t lucky enough to have air conditioning. But there are things you can do to keep yourself cool when the warm nights strike, including following a “one hour rule” before going to bed.

According to sleep experts, taking a warm shower or bath one hour before you go to bed can actually lead to a more restful night’s sleep.

While it might sound counterintuitive to warm yourself in the shower when conditions are already pretty stuffy, the water raises your core temperature and then prompts your body to cool down more quickly afterwards, which signals to the brain that it is time to rest and triggers the body’s natural sleep response.

Mira Showers expert Emily Robertson, explains: “Shower about 60-90 minutes before you plan to sleep. This gives your body the perfect amount of time to cool down naturally, which signals to your brain that it’s bedtime.

“It may seem counterproductive, but a warm shower can help your body cool down more efficiently before bed.

“Try ending with about 30 seconds of cool, but not cold water. This gentle temperature drop helps kickstart your body’s natural cooling process even faster.”

When taking a shower or bath before bed, be sure to avoid extremely hot water as this can raise your core temperature too much, leaving you feeling more alert and making it harder to drift off as a result.

Similarly, spending too long in very hot water can keep your body temperature elevated for longer, delaying the natural cooling process that helps signal to the brain that it’s time to sleep.

But done right, a warm shower or bath can trigger your body’s cooling process which will help you drift off on hot nights when sleep conditions can be uncomfortable.

Plus, an evening shower also has the added benefit of reducing allergy and hay fever symptoms, which are often triggered in warmer weather and can lead to a restless night.

Skincare expert Dr Ed Robinson said: “Night-time showering can be particularly helpful for people with hay fever, especially when pollen is the trigger.

“An evening shower helps reduce how much allergen you carry into bed, onto your pillow and into your bedroom environment. That can make nights more comfortable for some people and may help reduce the feeling of “bringing the outdoors in” during peak pollen season.”