Créer les conditions de sommeil optimales pour dormir

Hot summer months force many to either sleep with the window open or keep their AC running throughout the night. But it’s hard to fine-tune your microclimate when you don’t even know what the optimal sleep conditions are. Here are some of the factors you should consider when adjusting your sleep routine for the summer, especially if you tend to be a hot sleeper.

TEMPERATURE

According to study done by scientists Kazue Okamoto-Mizuno and Koh Mizuno at Tohoku Fukushi University in Japan, “thermal environment is one of the most important factors that can affect human sleep.” Turning down the thermostat can be an easy fix that makes a big difference to your quality of sleep.

The thing is, not everyone has the luxury of central air conditioning. A box fan is an inexpensive alternative that can also improve air flow, but if you’re sleeping under a thick, suffocating blanket, you may still overheat during sleep. Excess sweat may also increase the humidity under the blanket and cause extreme temperature changes if you kick the blanket off in the middle of the night.

That’s why you need a blanket with mesh ventilation panels to help wick away excess sweat and create the perfect microclimate for sleep. The 100% hollow fiber filling promotes air circulation while providing thermoregulation during any season. The 300 thread-count cotton satin outer layer is cool and breathable while still being durable enough to last you for years to come.

AIR QUALITY

Research done at the Energy Technical University of Denmark shows that sleeping with a closed window and with no source of fresh air causes CO2 to build up in the room overnight. This problem is especially prevalent in countries that experience extreme temperatures and require more artificial conditioning. The results of the study show that increased CO2 levels during sleep lead to increased feelings of fatigue and reduced performance the next morning.

If you can keep your window open, bug screens are a necessity, especially if you live close to a large body of water, which can become breeding grounds for insects.

TIP: If you live in a big city and there’s a lot of noise, light or air pollution outside your window, you might want to invest in an air purifier instead of cracking a window. These can make the air very dry, so make sure to get one with a built-in humidifier.

AROMATHERAPY

The scents you surround yourself with also have an effect on your sleep quality. Lavender essential oils, for example, have been shown to soothe the nervous system and improve sleep in people who introduced them into the bedroom before sleep. Essential oil aromatherapy has also been shown to relieve symptoms of a variety of sleep disorders.