The UK is currently experiencing its third heatwave of the year, with temperatures reaching up to 35°C in parts of England and Wales. Many residents are struggling to sleep in hot, stuffy bedrooms, as homes are often designed to retain heat. Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a sleep expert and neurophysiologist at Oak Tree Mobility, has shared a simple DIY air conditioning method that can cool a bedroom in around 20 minutes.
DIY Air Con: Fan, Tray, and Ice Cubes
Dr Ramlakhan explains that people only need a fan, a tray, and several ice cubes. "Place a tray of ice in front of a fan to create your own make-shift air con," she says. "The fan should be positioned so that it's blowing over the tray, and as the ice melts in front of it, the room cools down. Do it for 20 minutes or so before going to bed to help cool your bedroom down."
According to the Met Office, the heatwave is bringing warm, dry conditions across much of England and Wales, with southern areas seeing temperatures of 34-35°C. However, Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates notes: "Parts of the UK are entering heatwave conditions: the third heatwave in the UK so far this year. However, unlike the May and June heatwaves, we are not expecting this heatwave to be record-breaking."
Additional Tips for Staying Cool
Dr Ramlakhan also advises opening windows when it is cooler outside than inside and pointing a fan outward to push hot air out. "If your bedroom is upstairs and is too hot for sleeping, try sleeping downstairs. Heat rises, so if your home is split across more than one floor, you may be more comfortable on a lower floor."
She recommends taking preventive measures early in the day: "Close your windows and keep curtains and blinds shut to keep the heat of the sun out during the day. When the air is colder outside than in (generally very early in the morning and late at night), open your windows to allow air to circulate."
Other suggestions include eating meals that do not require the oven and switching bedding to breathable natural fibres like cotton or linen. The optimum room temperature for sleeping is 16-18°C, but Dr Ramlakhan acknowledges that this may be hard to achieve during a heatwave.
