This one item will help you sleep in the heatwave
27 June 2025, 15:54
Struggling to sleep in the heat? One expert reveals how to keep cool when it's hot and sticky at home.
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As the scorching heatwave continues this summer, it's almost impossible to get a good night's sleep.
Hot and sticky temperatures mean sweaty bedsheets and frequent wake-ups as anyone without air-conditioning fights to drift off at night.
If you're constantly kicking your legs out of clammy sheets and lying like a starfish in front of a fan, it's time to claim back your eight hours' kip.
One sleep specialist has the answer to staying cool at night when it's way too balmy in the bedroom – all you need is a simple item, and you might already own it.
How to sleep in a heatwave
Cotton pyjamas are the secret trick to battling the heat, revealed psychologist Dr Katherine Hall who specialises in treating insomnia.
The expert, in partnership with Bed Factory Direct, explained: "It may seem simple, but something as small as sleeping in the right material can be the difference in getting a good night’s sleep.
"I would recommend cotton as it is breathable and soaks up sweat, providing ultimate comfort in the heat."
Debunking the myth that sleeping naked cools you down, she suggested you dig out your softest, thinnest cotton pjs to keep your skin cool at night.
If your body temperature is lower you are more likely to enter into a deeper sleep, meaning more rest and less midnight fidgeting.
- Read more: This is the legal heat limit to work in UK
- Read more: When it's too hot to walk your dog and signs of heatstroke
How to cool down at night
It's not only cotton pyjamas that will come to the rescue during a UK heatwave.
Be sure to change your bedding so you're sleeping on top of a light sheet and check the tog of your duvet is correct - the lower, the better.
Dr Katherine added: "Switching to a thinner sheet and a lightweight duvet will provide an additional level of comfort, with the material less likely to make you sweat."
She also revealed that closing curtains and blinds during the day help to trap out the blazing sunshine and prevent some of the heat from getting inside the bedroom.
Make sure your windows are open before you head to dreamland too, as the cool breeze will blow in during the night, making for a more peaceful snooze.
If there's no wind at all, the sleep expert suggested that sweaty Brits should "dust off the fan".
- Read more: How long is the heatwave going to last?
- Read more: The two-second fan trick that could help you sleep during the heatwave
