The best sleep tips for hot nights

Tropical temperatures rob many of us from sleep. As you sleep well despite the heat, Dr. Michael Bohndorf, ENT specialist and sleep specialist in Dusseldorf.

Valuable tips for a good night's sleep during the heat. (Image: BillionPhotos.com-fotolia)

The heat wave makes us at night too. Sweating, we roll back and forth, falling asleep is unthinkable. The Düsseldorf sleep expert dr. Michael Bohndorf names ten proven tips that bring us better through the hot nights:

• Hot and stuffy bedrooms offer the worst possible conditions for a good night's sleep. Important are fresh air and pleasant temperatures. That's why the bedroom is best ventilated only in the evening before bedtime. Keep windows and blinds closed during the day and / or draw curtains. So the heat of the day is left out.
• If the temperatures drop noticeably in the evening, it is pleasant to sleep with the windows open (of course not on a busy street). Avoid drafts. For this reason, use fans as little as possible. They may also interfere with their sounds.
• If the body is warmed up by the heat of the day, an evening lukewarm shower brings the longed-for cooling. The vessels expand and the body temperature drops. Do not choose icy water, this will cause the vessels to contract.
• Sleeping nude is not only recommended because of the risk of cold, but also for reasons of hygiene. Because at night we give off up to half a liter of sweat.
• When we sweat at night, a thin, breathable pajama or a buoyant nightgown is ideal. It is also best to replace duvets with light cotton sheets. An air conditioning system ensures in extreme heat periods in addition to restful sleep.
• A hot water bottle does not only serve well in winter. Even in midsummer, it helps against heat: cooled in the refrigerator to pleasant temperatures, it is refreshing. Best placed on the feet, not directly on the body (!).
• Do you have computers, TVs or other devices in the bedroom? Then it's best to switch it off completely and not just stand-by function, because that costs electricity and heats up the room additionally.
• During the day light food and drink a lot. But not just before going to sleep, otherwise the urinary urgency additionally disturbs the night's sleep. Refrain from alcohol, this promotes bad dreams and restless nights with light sleep.
• Exercising at bedtime is always good. Positive are cycling or a walk. Move the strenuous strength training better to cooler days.
• If it still does not work with falling asleep, it makes little sense to spend hours restlessly rolling around in bed. My tip: Get up better, read a good book or listen to relaxing music - and lie down again only when the fatigue becomes noticeably stronger. (Pm)