9 Ways to Survive This Year’s Brutally Hot Summer Nights, According to Sleep Experts
· Vice
Summer used to mean long days and later bedtimes. Now it also means lying awake at 2 a.m., kicking off the covers, and staring at the ceiling while your body is emanating heat like a radiator.
With NOAA warning that summer 2026 is on track to run hotter than normal across all 50 states, bad sleep is becoming a seasonal guarantee for pretty much everyone. Research confirms what your exhausted body already knows.
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“Overheating during sleep can significantly reduce sleep quality and duration,” says Dr. Allie Hare, sleep consultant and Tatler Top Doctor for Sleep, in partnership with Emma Sleep. “In particular, being too hot at night can reduce slow wave, or deep, sleep—the stage that helps us awaken feeling rested.” So if you’ve been waking up groggy despite a full eight hours, the heat in your room may be doing more damage than you think. Here’s what actually helps.
1. Cool Your Feet
Put a pair of lightly damp socks in the freezer about 10 minutes before bed, then wear them to sleep. Your feet play a major role in regulating body temperature, and cooling them helps signal to your whole system that it’s time to wind down.
2. Sleep in a Starfish Position
Spreading out in bed increases air circulation around your body. Sleeping on your side also helps release heat from your back. Either way, your partner’s going to need to deal with it.
3. Try a Mediterranean Diet
What you eat affects how you sleep, especially in summer. Dr. Hare notes that “diets low in fiber and high in saturated fat and sugar can impact our sleep, making it lighter and less restorative.” Research suggests that following a Mediterranean diet—heavy on vegetables, legumes, fish, and healthy fats—is associated with longer, higher-quality sleep.
4. Choose Natural, Breathable Fabrics
Swap synthetic sheets and heavy bedding for cotton or bamboo. Both materials allow for better airflow and help prevent that suffocating, trapped-heat feeling that wakes you up at 3 a.m.
5. Stay Hydrated All Day
Hydration helps your body regulate temperature overnight. Drink consistently throughout the day so you’re not chugging water right before bed—which will send you to the bathroom instead of to sleep.
6. Take a Lukewarm Shower Before Bed
A cold shower sounds logical, but Dr. Hare recommends otherwise. “A lukewarm shower an hour or so before bed can help keep you cool because it causes dilation of the blood vessels in your skin so that when you get out, you can lose heat more effectively.”
7. Manage Your Room Temperature During the Day
Keep curtains closed during the day to prevent your bedroom from becoming a greenhouse. Once the sun sets, open windows to let cooler air circulate before you turn in.
8. Avoid Heat-Trapping Habits Before Bed
Heavy meals, alcohol, and intense late-night exercise all raise your core temperature and make it harder to cool down naturally. Eat light in the evenings, skip the nightcap, and move your workouts to the morning.
9. Invest in Cooling Sleep Technology
Cooling mattresses, pillows, and mattress toppers are designed to absorb and dissipate body heat throughout the night. If you’re dealing with repeated wake-ups from overheating, it may be time to upgrade rather than just suffer through another summer.
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