MURCIA, July 6, 2025
Surviving Summer: How to Keep Your Body Happy
Beat the heat and stay healthy this summer.
- Extreme heat disrupts sleep patterns.
- Maintaining regular schedules is crucial, especially for children.
- Hydration and fresh foods are essential for well-being.
Summer’s warmth can feel delightful, but it also throws a curveball at our body’s natural rhythms; **Summer heat profoundly alters the body’s functions,** impacting sleep, mood, and even appetite.
The Heat is On: Sleep Disruption
Summer brings vacation and sun, and it also affects how our bodies function. Maria Ángeles Bonmatí, a doctor in Physiology and professor of Anatomy at the University of Murcia, explains how extreme heat, especially at night, “fragments the dream, makes it superficial and leaves us more tired when awakening.”
Bonmatí notes that the body tries to regulate temperature through vasodilation and sweating. These mechanisms, while helpful, can negatively affect rest, mood, and appetite.
Tips for Cooler Sleep
According to Bonmatí, ventilating rooms at night can help lower temperatures. Also, avoiding prolonged use of air conditioning and choosing loose-fitting clothes and sheets is helpful.
Holiday Routines and Circadian Rhythms
Beyond the heat, changes in routine during holidays can disrupt circadian rhythms. Bonmatí advises that while it’s not necessary to be obsessive, maintaining some regularity in schedules is important, especially for children.
She emphasizes that physical and mental well-being depend on maintaining healthy habits such as sport, reading, and conscious leisure.
Hydration and Diet
Bonmatí emphasizes the importance of hydration and eating fresh, rich foods, such as seasonal fruits, during the summer months.
