Heat waves are becoming a frequent phenomenon. For this reason, researchers from the European Insomnia Network wanted to analyze how changes in outdoor temperature at night influence body temperature and sleep quality. Their review of the literature, which is published in the Journal of Sleep Research, indicates that ambient temperatures outside of thermal comfort can strongly affect human sleep by altering the body’s ability to thermoregulate.
The authors point out that certain groups, such as older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with psychiatric conditions, may be especially vulnerable to effects of heat waves on sleep.
In addition, they offer several methods to cope with insomnia: “It is important to keep the bedroom below 25ºC, although the ideal is 19ºC. If the room temperature is too warm, sleep is known to become shallower and less restful. wear a fan instead of air conditioning, if possible,” says Ellemarije Altena, an associate professor at the University of Bordeaux in France and co-author of the review.
Along the same lines, the expert adds: «A warm shower or a foot bath before bed can help you cool down and regulate your body temperature during sleep. plan physical activities only in the morningwhen it is cooler, and Drink a lot of water during the day to help the body cool down at night. alcohol dehydrates and disrupts sleep, so limit those cold summer beers during heat waves. hold a regular sleep schedule as much as possible, especially for children.”