A 'keeping cool in this heat at night' top tip

[PercyPigandMe]

I know that the overwhelming majority of you will be fully aware of this tip but I mentioned it to a friend the other day and she was astonished. Had never heard of it so it made me wonder if she was the only one not in the know

Anyway, fill a hot water bottle and freeze it. Pop in bed at night and it stays ice cold all night long. Another tip is to soak a towel of whatever size you fancy in cold water and wring out. Use as a sheet at night

Any other tips?

My mum's disabled and there's no way she could sleep outside. She physically can't get up and down from the floor. Same as my very pregnant friend.

I wear a t shirt in a cold shower then fall asleep with the breeze from the window directly hitting me.

If I wake up in the night and need some relief, I use a 4Head stick all over my face and neck. The first time my boyfriend saw me doing that I think he was considering leaving and never coming back.

The loft being hot is the point of opening the hatch.
Hot air rises, so theoretically the hot air will go into the loft through the hatch, rather than stay heating up your upstairs rooms.

@RunningFromInsanity

The loft being hot is the point of opening the hatch. Hot air rises, so theoretically the hot air will go into the loft through the hatch, rather than stay heating up your upstairs rooms.

I can see the logic in that, and I’m not a scientist so I can’t work this out, but if my loft is already full of really very hot air, can the hot air from my upstairs, still go into the loft and leave the upstairs cooler? When I’ve had to go into the loft on a hot day, it seemed to just heat up my upstairs more

As PPs have recommended, when I lived in Australia I used to sleep under a damp towel with a fan on & pointing at the bed. Sounds clammy and yukky but it worked brilliantly. I have a neck cooling wrap (which also came from Australia, there is a sew-your-own link here but they can be bought readymade online too). Last night the DCs were complaining so I put a wrung-out cold flannel on their chests and they went straight to sleep...we also still have their large cellular blankets from their cots so they use those instead of duvets when it's really hot

I bought a ‘special’ sheet and pillow cover for DS (he is a hot lad) and I don’t know how they do it, but they feel cool to the touch, and keep that cool feeling, so it’s lovely to have in the for summer.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

It's called a 'portable air conditioning unit' but yeah it just cools the air!

I'm trying to work out of it's an air cooler or a conditioning unit. I need something for the bedroom and that's a fab price!

It's definitely an air con unit. It has a pipe out the window and is amazing! An absolute godsend. Highly recommend it as an investment. Ours is a few years old so probably more expensive now but worth it. I once iced DC's birthday cake in the bedroom with it running!

@sherrystrull omg that's such a good price! Thanks

Wet and wring out the sarong or single sheet but hang it over your curtain rail but so it doesn't completely block the open window. Aim fan towards window and it will push hot air out of the room and cooler air will be pulled into the room passing the damp sheet and thus cooling it further.

I've just opened the loft hatch, after the initial bitsy of heat I think it's marginally cooler up there than usual.

[quote BG21031]@QuestionableMouse

Midges accepted. But disabled people, pregnant women and children can’t sleep outside?

What do people do when they go camping? It’s easy to buy a beach shelter and in dry nights like this sleep on a blanket.[/quote]
I do own a tent, but I live in a gardenless flat so not sure where you expect me to pitch it. In the car park? In the local park?

Ds2 has just come into my room so that he can sleep on the sun lounger on the balcony. I might go out and join him.

I have a mosquito net up over our bed so that I can sleep in just my knickers on top of the covers with the French doors and all the windows open without getting bitten.

Thank you OP! I'm lying here with a frozen hot water bottle and thanks to you I think I will manage to sleep!!!

For those worried about the bogey man/monsters/needing the protection of a sheet, I find a strategically placed thin cotton scarf covering the bare (!) essentials is enough to ward off the baddies.

Tooooo hooooooooooot! 🥵

Brilliant tips! I'm suffering so much in this heat and likley pre menopausal. I can't believe I've been hanging around this cesspit for over 10 years and this is the first thread I've read like this.

I use a frozen gel pack wrapped in a tea towel
And M&S comfortably cool sheets are bliss - my cat NEVER sleeps on my bed, and every time I have those on he clambers on and snoozes away for hours

Quick cool shower before bed don't dry hair just wrap in a towel, fan on, sleep naked.

They do fitted sheets etc but this is the flat sheet
https://www.marksandspencer.com/comfortably-cool-flat-sheet/p/hbp22379809?color=WHITE&prevPage=srp

damp flannel to wipe over exposed skin. (very cheap option)

@ RichardMarxisinnocent oh come on, you need one of those tents they hang off the side of rockfaces with ropes and caribinas, obviously...

(top floor flat dweller also)

I've slept out with DS for the last couple of nights. It's great! Appreciate it's not possible for everyone though

I don’t do anything differently on hot nights other than wake up without the duvet on in the morning.

Same duvet all year round. Don’t own a fan. Windows closed. Just about to go and put my pyjamas on (vest and bottoms rather than fleece jumper and bottoms though!) I’ll confess there are still two blankets on top of the duvet on my bed but they are folded down to foot level.

I came on to say though, if you feel insecure sleeping without a blanket, to try cuddling a pillow instead, works for me.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

It doesn't in my house,it's hot as hell in the loft!

Mine too. It's like a bloody sauna up there I

The damp towel tip is amazing, I’ve used it abroad

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

It's called a 'portable air conditioning unit' but yeah it just cools the air!

I'm trying to work out of it's an air cooler or a conditioning unit. I need something for the bedroom and that's a fab price!

It's not air con, it's a cooler unit. It's ok. a step up from a fan, as it blows out cooler air but it's not even close to as good as air con. It certainly doesn't drop the room temperature by that much, maybe a degree or 2 but it's still worth buying as a very good fan.