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Summer is in the air and with it all of the little pieces of joy it brings.
Imagine: it’s summer night, at home, with the window open and a breath of wind comes in. You’re on your bed, completely relaxed, and you’re reading a book that’s got you completely hooked. You think nothing could be better…
But then something suddenly happens. Wind stops entering your room. There’s no air, you feel like you can’t breath. You’re sweating. The bed sheets start to annoy you, you feel wrapped in. Wearing your old pijamas makes you feel worse. You can’t read anymore and you already know that sleeping will be impossible. You think you’re living a nightmare: It’s a very hot summer night and you regret not being outside, by the ocean, enjoying a moment of cold breeze.
But don’t panic!
Emma has got you, and today we’re going to share some useful tips on to how keep it cool at home this Summer! You can say goodbye to those crazy hot nights and you’ll be able to enjoy your favourite book again!
Keep the room cool
Temperature is a very important factor that determines our rest. Whether it is too low or too high, it interferes with our sleep. The ideal temperature of the room in which you sleep should be between 15 and 22 degrees, if the temperature gets higher, the blood vessels dilate to promote blood circulation and lower body temperature, so the brain goes into a state of alert that makes it difficult to sleep.
Windows opened, windows closed…that is the dilemma!
Your room will stay cool at night if you keep it as cool as possible during the day. First of all, you should only open the windows in the morning and in the evening. During the afternoon, instead, keep them closed and lower the shutters, in this way the heat will not enter and the room will be ready and fresh to welcome you in the evening when you return from work.
Turn it off
Turn off the lights and do not leave your various electronic devices on stand-by. If there are computers, televisions or other electronic devices in the home whose use is not essential, switch them off and keep them disconnected during the night, as they give off heat even when just the stand-by light remains on.
Restyle the room
Have you ever thought about adding some plants around your home? They don’t only have the function of decorating the room and restoring the spirit but they also clean up the air we breathe. Moreover, plants are excellent allies against the heat. They absorb the heat from the atmosphere and help freshen the air.
For example, you could buy a “Ficus Benjamin”, an Asian evergreen plant with curved branches and very long leaves. The plant needs quite warm temperatures and does not need to be watered often. Ficus is also an excellent filter for toxic substances present in the air. Or you could also go for “Aloe vera” or “Dracaena” that are useful plants to purify the air of polluting agents and reduce heat by keeping the room cool.
Keep bedtime cool
Getting ready to go to sleep, giving us our well-deserved rest should be different between summer and winter.
The Bed
The most important element on which you should focus is the bed of course. The place where you should sleep and dream. The bed must be fresh, it has to be ready to let us abandon the stress of the day and to make us relax and sleep well the whole night (without sweating, of course).
With the season changing you should also change your bed sheets and go for the perfect ones. Cotton is undoubtedly the most suitable fiber for the summer months, both for clothing and for bed linen. Cotton is a natural fabric that allows the skin to breathe and helps absorb sweat. It’s softer than linen and it can be more or less light, depending on how it was processed. Remember that it is not just the fiber that is important, but also the colours you use in your bedroom. By using white you’ll have a cool feeling, but you can consider also pale colours such as pink, blue or aqua green.
Consider that also the quality of the pillows is important for the best night sleep. It may seem strange to you, but to sleep well even in the heat you should opt for a breathable one.
Stay Fresh
Take a cool shower before going to bed.
Many wonder if it is better to take a hot or cold shower in summer, or if a fresh shower can prevent too much sweating. It’s wrong in both cases: taking a shower that is too cold will cause the body to sweat again to re-balance the body temperature, a hot shower will have the same result. The best solution would be to take a lukewarm shower, perhaps just above the outside temperature.
Try to keep your neck, wrists, elbows and ankles cool. If you keep the pulse points of your body cold, you will feel less hot. Refresh these areas at night and you will sleep cooler.
Wear it cool
Also with regard to pyjamas, choose a cotton pair to sleep in. Maybe you have the temptation to completely undress to cool down, but sleeping naked can make you feel the heat more, because it doesn’t allow moisture to evaporate between the body and the mattress. Therefore opt for cotton clothing, avoid synthetic fibers, such as nylon or silk, because they don’t let the skin breathe and can make you feel even warmer.
Eat well to sleep well
To fight the heat and to overcome fatigue, hypotension, heavy legs and water retention, you need to know which diet to follow. With the arrival of summer and holidays, between the heat and the need to disconnect from your daily routine, the desire to start cooking drastically decreases. But resorting to ready-made and pre-cooked dishes, pizzas, cheeses and snacks could prove to be a bad idea and worsen all those typical annoyances and ailments that summer brings with it: retention, asthenia and low blood pressure.
Some basic rules
It is generally recommended to reduce the consumption of meat as much as possible, and to decrease the amount of saturated fat you have in your diet. The recommended meat is the lightest one, or a white one, like chicken, since it has a good protein content. Fish, according to nutrition guidelines, should be eaten at least three times a week all year round. It is advisable to eat it all the more in summer (better grilled or baked), for its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and for its high digestibility.
In summer obviously it’s recommended to consume a lot of fruit and vegetables.
The fruit, rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, should be consumed not only after meals but also during the day. So go ahead with melons, strawberries, cherries, apricots or peaches. Fruit juices are also fine but avoid the ones with added sugar.
Vegetables should be the undisputed masters of your summer meals and should ideally to be eaten at the beginning of meals to buffer your sense of hunger. In this way you will fill up on vitamins, minerals and antioxidants especially with carrots, fennel, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers or celery.
Drink drink drink
Even when you pay attention to what you eat, you often tend to neglect your hydration levels, which is even more vital for the body than nutrition. Drinking is important, and drinking in summer is even more important. The exact quantities vary from person to person, but active adults should set the general goal of getting around two liters to be properly hydrated, and needs may vary with external temperature fluctuations.
It’s Summer Sale time at Emma!
Now that you’ve got all of our tips, you can go back to relaxing in your bed and enjoying your book. But first you might want to have a look at our website and discover our Summer Sale! In order to help you feel comfortable at home, you will benefit from a 25% discount on all our products. Moreover, be 1 of 50 Lucky Winners and win the cost of your order back (for more information about it, please check our terms and conditions here)!
If you think the time has come to enjoy breathable mattresses and pillows, you should not miss out on this opportunity.
