England is finally experiencing some sunshine but if there is one thing that has been plaguing us, it’s the humidity. Humid weather makes us feel sluggish and sweaty and this uncomfortable feeling can feel worse at night, especially when we are deprived of any kind of cool breeze from the window nearby.
So what can you do to keep your bedroom cool? Air conditioning is an option, but this can be expensive and time consuming and if you are conscious about reducing your carbon footprint, you might be wondering how you can keep cool without using extra electricity. With a few practical changes you could bring the heat down a notch and benefit from a sounder night’s sleep:
Choose Cotton – Apply this rule to several areas such as bed sheets and nightwear. Choosing cotton sheets will minimise heat absorption and wearing loose, light cotton clothing will do the same. Also get rid of heavy duvets and opt for light sheets for a higher level of comfort.
Windows – Around 40% of unwanted heat comes through the window so you could invest in mini blinds and white window shades to help reflect heat away. You could also try some reflective window coatings but some of these can inhibit the full flow of natural light into the room.
Cool Colours – The colour of your roof has a larger influence on the overall temperature in your home but there is no harm in choosing cool, light shades for your interior walls as light coming from the window will not absorb into them as much.
Disconnect – Appliances in the home are the second biggest offender for causing unwanted heat in the home. Replace watching TV with reading a book and turn everything off at the mains before you go to sleep. Don’t leave your computer on standby and avoid leaving your phone on charge all the way through the night.
Go LED – Summer means making the most of natural lighting but before bedtime you may need a bit of lighting to get yourself prepared for the morning ahead. Replace incandescent lighting with LED bulbs, which are easier on the environment and don’t contribute to heat build-up.
Hot Water Bottle – Plenty of people have chosen the hot water bottle as their cooling companion. You can put your hot water bottle to good use by filling it up with water and storing it in the freezer. Holding on to this at night will be much more effective at keeping you cool than cuddling a sweaty partner. But be careful not to fill the water up too high, try just below half way at first to allow the water to expand into ice.