If you have trouble sleeping in the summer because of the heat, we have the solution. Try the freezer trick!
It is common for temperatures to climb to 25 or even 30 degrees during heatwaves in homes. Falling asleep can then become a real challenge if you don’t have air conditioning. The stifling heat makes for uncomfortable nights, disrupting the rest needed to face the next day.
Luckily, for anyone without an air conditioner, there’s an easy solution: the freezer hack. Often relegated to simply storing food, your freezer can be an unexpected ally in helping you sleep better. Here’s how to take advantage of this appliance to improve the quality of your sleep during the summer. One of the easiest and most effective ways to use your freezer to combat the nighttime heat is to place ice packs or a hot water bottle in it.
Before you go to bed, take a few ice packs out of the freezer and place them in your bed, wrapped in a towel or thin cloth. Place them around your pillow, along your body, or even under your feet. The coolness they give off helps lower your body temperature, making it easier to fall asleep. Consider keeping a few in the fridge for the middle of the night to cool your bed again if the heat is too much for you.
If you sleep with a sleep mask, you can also put it in the freezer 30 minutes before going to bed. When you put it on when you go to sleep, your body will cool down quickly. Others also recommend putting a pair of socks in the freezer 30 minutes before going to bed and putting them on before going to sleep. This way, your body temperature will quickly drop a degree or two.
To take the freezer trick even further, some people recommend placing your sheets and pillowcases in airtight plastic bags and then putting them in the freezer for an hour or two before bed. By taking them out just before bed, you’ll enjoy their instant coolness, creating a feeling of comfort and relief from the heat. Be careful not to leave your textiles in the freezer for too long, though, to prevent them from becoming damp.
Why does this technique work so well? Simply because your body needs to lower its internal temperature to fall asleep, it’s physiological. By cooling your bed with ice packs or cool sheets, this will help your body cool down, and therefore make it easier for you to fall asleep. Be careful, however, not to create a thermal shock. As always, it’s all a question of moderation.