If the thought of another sweltering heatwave is keeping you up at night, you are not alone. Struggling to sleep during warm weather is incredibly common, and there is nothing worse than lying awake for hours on end, unable to drift off.
Reaching for an electric fan is a popular solution, but it is not always the most effective one. To help Brits keep cool during the night, Marks Electrical spoke exclusively to sleep expert Dave Gibson, founder of The Sleep Site. He revealed which cooling appliances work best for different types of bedrooms and why one often-overlooked choice could make a world of difference.
The Science Behind Sleep and Heat
Dave said: "Our core body temperature naturally begins to fall by around 0.5-1°C as we fall asleep and through the first part of the night, but hot and humid conditions can prevent this cooling process from happening properly, leaving us tossing and turning throughout the night."
The Overlooked Appliance: Dehumidifier
Before splashing out on an electric fan, it may be worth trying another appliance that many of us already own for the colder months — the dehumidifier. Not only is it brilliant for quickly drying laundry and tackling mould, it can also work wonders when it comes to cooling down your bedroom on warm nights.
Dave explained: "In a humid bedroom, the air is already saturated, so the sweat cannot evaporate from your skin. A dehumidifier literally removes that excess moisture in the air so your body's natural cooling can work effectively in the hot humid nights."
He suggests maintaining relative humidity between 40-60%. Steer clear of anything drier as it can make breathing uncomfortable by parching your nose and throat, which also worsens snoring.
Additional Benefits of Dehumidifiers
Dave added: "It is worth getting this right in both directions. Equally if you leave a room with excess humidity, it can encourage dust mites - and even mould in some cases. One bonus of dehumidifiers is the gentle hum they produce which can double up as white noise and therefore masks sound from outside (and inside) the bedroom."
Alternative for Hay Fever Sufferers: Air Purifier
If hay fever rather than sweltering temperatures is disrupting your sleep, there is another device that could be a big help - an air purifier. Dave said: "A good air purifier filters out airborne pollen, dust and pet hair and helps you breathe more easily through the night combatting broken sleep from congestion, sneezing and itchy eyes. Typically, you would also get the extra bonus of white noise from purifiers too. Run it with the windows closed so you are cleaning and re-circulating the same low-pollen air rather than constantly inviting more in."
