Overview
- Sleep requires the body to lose heat so hot or humid nights make it harder to fall asleep, increase night wakings and leave people feeling unrested.
- The British Red Cross and NHS guidance urges adults to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep and highlights a fridge-sock trick to cool feet and lower overall body temperature.
- A sleep specialist recommends using a dehumidifier to keep bedroom relative humidity around 40–60 percent so sweat can evaporate and natural cooling works more effectively.
- A sleep therapist advises spraying or running cool water on hands and feet before bed to exploit evaporative cooling, while experts note fans move air rather than lower room temperature and may be insufficient for people who are older or unwell.
- The Met Office’s warning that extreme UK temperatures are becoming more likely makes passive and low-cost cooling vital because air conditioning is effective but often too costly or impractical for many households.