Sleep despite the summer heat These advice could help

Expert tips for a restful sleep despite the heat
As beautiful as the high temperatures in summer are, at night they bring many people to a restful sleep. In an interview with the news agency "dpa", sleep researcher Prof. Jürgen Zulley explains how to sleep well despite the heat.

Shower lukewarm instead of ice cold
For a restful sleep, the room temperature in the bedroom should be 16 to 18 degrees. However, this is often unthinkable in summer. Because when it is 30 degrees and more during the day, the temperatures also rise in the rooms. Zulley knows how to still find a good night's sleep.

A few tips and the restful sleep works well in the summer. Picture: puhhha-fotolia

"Take a lukewarm shower before going to bed and not completely dry off," advises the sleep researcher. "When the water on the skin evaporates, it drains heat from the body." That also helps when you wake up sweaty during the night. It is important not to shower cold, because the cold stimulates the circulation. The body thereby produces even more heat.

A light, breathable pajama is a better choice than sleeping naked. On the one hand there is a risk of cold and on the other hand airy clothing is also useful for hygienic reasons. Because at night the body loses up to half a liter of sweat. One should not come up with the idea to put the pajamas in the freezer before getting dressed. "That's too hard," says Zulley. Because the body always reacts to the cold with the production of heat. The effect of iced clothes does not last long.

Many people can not do without a blanket despite the heat. The sleep researcher recommends a linen towel in the summer. This is not too warm and at the same time protects against drafts. Zulley advises against covering with a damp towel or hanging one in the bedroom. "The lower the humidity, the better the body can regulate its temperature."

Clever ventilation in the heat for a restful sleep
To keep the temperature in the bedroom as low as possible, you should ventilate clever. This means that the windows only open in the early morning and at night when it is not hot or not hot, Zulley recommends. He advises against setting up a fan next to the bed. "To sleep in a strong breeze is uncomfortable and does not even feel good to many." To shut off the heat from the outset, the curtains should also be closed during the day. If electrical appliances such as computers or televisions are in the bedroom, these should be switched off completely and not only in stand-by mode, because the appliances additionally heat up the room.

If there is a room cooler than the bedroom, you can go to sleep there. Sometimes the cellar is the best place, if it is in good condition, reports the sleep researcher. To sleep outside is out of the question for many. "You're probably watching for any rustling and cracking," Zulley said. Who wants to try it anyway, should not give up a mosquito net. Otherwise bothersome sleep disturbs.

To promote a restful sleep, it is also useful during the day to eat only light food and drink plenty of water. Shortly before going to bed you should refrain from doing so, otherwise the urinary urgency additionally disturbs the night's sleep. Alcohol is counterproductive as it promotes restless nights with light sleep.

But there is a small consolation for those who find no peace in the summer at night. "If we do not sleep well in the heat, that's not a problem," says Zulley. "Because in the summer you need less sleep anyway." This is because at this time of the year more bright light hits the eyes, so that the body produces lower amounts of the sleep hormone melatonin. (Ag)