The summers are here in full force, and it is as grueling and non-forgiving in most parts of the country this time, same as desert heat. Record temperatures, hot winds, inability to leave our homes or even our air-conditioned rooms impact our sleep and tend to sleep disorders. Sleeping, resting, or doing anything without sweating, facing extreme heat becomes a challenge when June and July come nearby, and somehow the heat is already here.
Temperature change makes the seasonal changes more intense and more demanding on our bodies, making physical health way more of a priority. While sleeping, our bodies need a cooler temperature, and if you have had a taste of no-electricity summer nights, you almost certainly understand this too well. The Indian summers are unforgiving, and there is the sweat that makes sleeping difficult.
Sleep disorders you may face in the summers are:
Snoring
It is the most common sleep disorder. Snoring refers to the difficulty to keep the throat open when sleeping. Because the throat muscles relax, they narrow down and eventually close the airway. Snoring is the sound the air makes because it tries to squeeze in through the closing airway. While snoring is not considered a medical condition by itself, it is an indicator of an even bigger underlying sleep disorders- sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
This refers to a medical condition where someone experiences intermittent cessation of breathing during sleep. These brief periods of stopped breathing, or apnea episodes, cause a reduction in oxygen level within the blood, causing a person’s body to be jerked awake.
Insomnia
Insomnia is one amongst the foremost common sleep disorders and is characterized by an inability to sleep. People face difficulty in falling and staying asleep. They take a very long time to go to sleep, or to induce back to sleep if awakened during sleep. If the condition occurs thrice every week and continues for 3 months, it is called chronic insomnia and requires appropriate treatment, including intake of sleeping pills and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI).
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
When somebody’s circadian rhythm falls out of sync with the external environment, biological time disorders can set in. These are usually caused thanks to blindness, in people working in night shifts, seasonal changes or frequent travelers experiencing weariness. These conditions are treated with exposure to natural light at the right time so as to revive the sync and normal sleep cycle.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The main characteristic of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is prolonged fatigue that doesn’t subside even after full rest. The condition worsens with any mental or physical activity and might result in considerable impact on daily activities. It is often caused because of virus infection, psychological stress, or a mixture of things, and is commonly difficult to diagnose.
Seasonal emotional disorders
This is a mood-related condition, which is usually related to depression or excessive sleep. It occurs when natural light fails to control the brain. Its treatment may include light therapy (phototherapy), medications and psychotherapy.
What can you do at home to stick to your good night routine and avoid sleep disorders this summer!
Nap wisely
We know that during summers you are more than tempted to nap during the afternoon as you get fatigued easily. A well-timed nap can provide a much needed boost of energy that is needed to work for the remainder of the day. But it is tough to time it well and nap the right amount without it being detrimental to your night’s sleep. By napping within the early afternoon- around 2 pm when the body experiences its natural energy ‘slump’- and keeping the nap to around 20 minutes to stop falling into deeper sleep phases, you will get the advantages of a fast sleep without impacting your nightly sleep quality.
Get some sunlight
It is very difficult to get some sunlight in with our busy schedules, and might be more of a turn off with the crazy summer heat. Try to get up in the mornings and go out to get some sun. If you are not able to do that, at least sit by the window for some time. It will not only give you some much-needed Vitamin D, but sunlight also triggers the suppression of melatonin (similarly to blue light), which energizes us and allows us to have a full day without feeling tired or lethargic.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice that has gained in popularity over recent years, as more people attempt to combat busy lives. In short, mindfulness is the concept of being mentally present. One of the numerous benefits of being present within the moment is avoiding overbearing thoughts of the past or the future. These kinds of thoughts usually pop up in your mind right when you are trying to sleep. The thoughts can (and will) in fact acquire your head, but mindfulness allows for them to be waived on without creating undue stress- making it the proper sleep-friendly skill to house a vigorous nocturnal mind.
Bedroom colors
The dominant colors in a bedroom can play a subtle but powerful role in determining how you are feeling. There are various color theories when it involves the interior design, but simply considering ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ colors may be a good starting line. Reds and yellows for example, within the warm part of the color palette, can create a way of energy and vibrancy, while ‘cooler’ blues and greens give off an altogether more relaxed atmosphere- making them more appropriate for the bedroom.
Time for a mattress change to avoid sleep disorders
You are most likely going to spend more time in bed during the summer in the air-conditioned than in any other season – so do you think of a better time to re-evaluate your mattress than now? Ask yourself this- How old is my mattress? Is it as comfortable as it once was, maybe years ago, when you bought it? Does it need to be rotated or flipped because there are prominent dents now? Or, is it finally time to invest in a new mattress?
See what your sleeping needs are. Buy a mattress online from Livpure- shop from a huge range of latex mattresses, memory foam mattresses, hybrid mattresses, etc. You can choose from different mattress price points to suit your pocket.
Cool your hands and your feet
The hands and feet are your body’s sink system, and cooling them would help regulate the body temperature. There are a number of ways to keep your hands and feet cold before you go to sleep. Put your feet and hands in cold water. No, taking a cold shower is still not a good idea, but using some cold water in a bucket to cool off or using a cold spray can help offer some much-needed relief from the heat. Your body gets much-needed relief from cold, while this simple trick enhances blood regulation. Colder hands and feet also help offer a sense of calm that the body needs before sleep. If you use lower temperatures in your air conditioning and prefer to go for a comforter covering the entire body, a different approach would help you sleep without this hassle. You can aim for a better and more comfortable sleeping experience by keeping your hands or legs or both out of the sheets. This allows better temperature regulation, keeps your body cooler as body heat escapes, and offers a more relaxed and comfortable night of sleep.
Change your sheets
The feeling of stepping into bed with freshly washed sheets is one of life’s little pleasures, helping create a way of comfort that positively encourages relaxation. Plenty of folks do not exactly prioritize cleanliness within the bed. Putting basic hygiene worries aside, keeping used bed sheets on for such extended periods of your time increases the likelihood of bed bugs and mud mites inhabiting the space, especially with the summer sweating.
Livpure’s Egyptian cotton bed sheets are the perfect match for your foam mattress or your latex mattress. They are breathable, durable, and anti-allergenic, for a peaceful sleep.
Conclusion
Summers are sweaty, uncomfortable, horrible in all ways possible, and even full of mosquitoes. But how you sleep is in your hands, and the sooner you follow these sleep tips, the better you would be able to sleep. Sleeping in summer needs you to be calm, relaxed, and mentally and physically free of stress. So, take care of your sleep hygiene and follow a healthy lifestyle to keep summer woes away.