With another record-breaking heatwave hitting the UK this week and lasting into the weekend, many are struggling to sleep. A heat health alert remains in place for much of the country, with temperatures exceeding 30°C. Broken sleep can lead to fatigue-related health conditions, but experts suggest a simple fix: remove electrical appliances from the bedroom.
Electrical Appliances Act as Heaters
Kevin Pennington, a home cooling expert and member of the Institute of Refrigeration, told furniture firm Sharps: “Any electricity consumed by electronics ultimately becomes heat – screens, laptops, chargers. They're all small heaters. And because building regulations over the past 20 years have led to massively better insulation, modern homes hold onto that heat incredibly well.” He advises moving electronics out of the bedroom during warmer months or turning them off at the wall when possible.
Clutter Under the Bed Traps Heat
Pennington also highlights that clutter under the bed can increase heat. “Cold air sinks, so the coolest air in any room is near the floor. If you have lots of stuff stored under the bed, you're blocking cooler air from circulating and trapping warm, stagnant air right where you're trying to sleep. Clearing that space lets air move naturally.”
Storage Affects Airflow
Natalie Prince, a fitted furniture expert at Sharps, added: “With summer comes the welcome bonus of longer, lighter days – but in a country where homes simply aren't designed for high temperatures, rising heat can quickly make your bedroom uncomfortable when temperatures peak. The bedroom is the room where heat feels most disruptive, yet airflow is rarely the first thing on anyone's mind when thinking about how to set it up. But where and how you store your belongings has a direct impact on how air moves around the room, and therefore how hot it feels at night. The more efficiently your storage works, the more your bedroom can – so with the weather heating up, now is as good a time as any to start with what's under the bed.”
