Going from the not-so-warm at home to extreme heat can bring its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. That was shown by searches for the phrase ‘how to sleep well on holiday’ increasing 62% last month in the UK according to Google Trends data summer.

While the vast majority of hotels have air conditioning units in the rooms, those staying in self-catering accommodation or hostels may not have the same luxury. 

That’s why Avant Homes has teamed up with Charlotte Corson, senior health and wellbeing physiologist at Nuffield Health to provide those struggling sleepers with a number of tips to help them get their 7 to 8 hours.

Here are Charlotte’s top 10 expert tips on how to get a better night’s sleep on holiday…

1. My top tip relates to mindset. The body and the mind are so interlinked. There is huge value in reminding ourselves that ‘we might not sleep as well as we normally do, but it will pass – this heat will not last forever’. If we get into a cycle of negative thinking and say to ourselves we’re going to be too hot to sleep, then guess what….we will be too hot to sleep! Hello, self-fulfilling prophecy.
2. Keep the curtains/blinds shut in the daytime to keep the room cool – think shut blinds for shut eyes! If you’ve got black-out curtains these will help to absorb some of the heat during the warmer parts of the day.
3. Trust me on this one but having a cool (or even cold!) shower or bath before bed can do wonders. This will encourage a drop in body temperature, which is important as we prepare to sleep.
4. Freeze your hot water bottle – sounds bizarre I know, but it’s a good one to try. Plus, it really cools the bedsheets down. If you don’t have a hot water bottle, try some ice cubes in front of a fan will help to cool the air around you. This will turn your average fan into an elite fan.
5. Sleeping on your side is helpful for maximising heat loss from the body. Of course, comfort is important too so don’t sacrifice this if sleeping on your front/back is the norm
6. Staying well-hydrated helps. Take small sips of water throughout the night but not too much, as this might then have the opposite effect!
7. Does a hot drink cool you down? Yes! This can absolutely sometimes help, particularly if it’s very dry heat so that the additional sweat that’s produced when you drink the hot drink can evaporate! If it’s humid though, this cooling effect is less effective, so you won’t get the same benefits.
8. Back to that elite fan that I mentioned earlier, this movement of air over our bodies can help us feel cooler – but best to have a fan that is quiet if you’re going to keep it on all night. If there’s a breeze outside, having the window open as well is also a winner. If there’s no breeze, it’s generally best to keep the window shut as the air outside is probably hotter than inside.
9. Bedding – say hello to your Summer duvet. Linen is best for the cooling effect, but cotton is also lightweight, breathable, and much more affordable.
10. If you find yourself tossing and turning for a long time without sleep – don’t fight it. Be kind to yourself and go and do something relaxing in another room before trying again.  We want to keep the bedroom as a sleep haven and not reinforce a feeling of frustration and sleeplessness. This is where a change in environment can be helpful, both physiologically and psychologically.