Whether you live in Boston or Baltimore, Bali or Barcelona, chances are you have had trouble sleeping at night due to extreme heat in the summer months.
Fret not; even without air conditioning there are ways that you can keep cool to sleep through a blistering summer night.
Science has shown that sleep in extreme heat is often fragmented, leading to less dreaming and important phases of the sleep cycle left incomplete.
If you are without air conditioning it is harder to get to the ideal sleep temperature, but a blissful night of rest is far from impossible.
Some of these hints deal with nighttime rituals and changes you can make for a blast of cool.
Others begin during the morning hours.
If you work, keep windows open only if the temperature outside is cooler than inside.
Leave blinds down to keep out the light; sunlight can add degrees of heat to your home over the course of the day! Once the temperature outdoors cools down you can open windows to let the cool air inside.
If it's still too warm to sleep comfortably, try taking a cool shower to bring your body temperature down (conversely, many people have success with a warm shower that makes the air feel cooler, but be careful: you run the risk of adding humidity to the house.
) Once you've showered put on a pair of light pajamas or sleep in the nude.
Still too hot? Try using an icepack or damp washcloth as a cool compress on your head.
If you are waking up sweaty, unable to sleep through the night, try taking another quick shower and changing into fresh pajamas.
Sleeping outdoors is popular in many countries near the equator as it allows for a breeze and some fresh air.
Though it's not as common here in the states, it is another option for those ultra-hot nights.
Read more about this and other sleep issues at SleepFoundation.
org.