Meteorologists promise us the hottest July in 100 years. This week will be characterized by the fact that even at night in the center of Moscow the temperature will remain at 23-25 degrees, warned the director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center Roman Vilfand. These are abnormally warm nights, real Egyptian nights, the meteorologist said. But we are not residents of Africa, adapted to such heat since childhood! How does heat affect sleep and what to do if insomnia begins or worsens due to heat? KP.RU spoke about this with the famous somnologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor of the Central State Medical Academy of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation Roman Buzunov.
THE HIGHER THE TEMPERATURE, THE WORSE THE SLEEP
As scientists explain, there are special cells in our brain that are sensitive to heat. They are involved in the initiation of the sleep mechanism. The optimal temperature for a good night’s sleep is considered to be 18-22 degrees. If the room is hot, a person sleeps less and worse.
“It is true,” the somnologist confirms. – Moreover, if the temperature in the bedroom is too high, our thermoregulation mechanisms are activated. A person sweats intensely, evaporating moisture. On the one hand, the body mobilizes additional resources for such cooling. “Distracted” by this, the brain pays less attention to other processes. This also makes it difficult to fully recover during the night’s rest. And then, during the day, people feel worse. On the other hand, when a pillow or sheet gets wet from sweat, a person feels uncomfortable and wakes up more often at night.
In addition, too hot and uncomfortable weather causes heat stress in the body. Against this background, anxiety can increase. All of these are additional obstacles to normal sleep, notes Professor Buzunov.
HOW TO HELP YOU: WAYS TO COMBAT INSOMNIA ON A SOPHISTICAL NIGHT
“My father told me that he went to Dushanbe 40 years ago,” our expert recalls. “In the summer, in the sun, it was more than 50 degrees. And in the hotel, a stone building, at night it was more than 30-35 degrees. Dad poured a bucket of cold water on the bed and covered himself with a wet sheet. I slept for 2-3 hours while everything dried. Then he got up again and poured out the water. This was the only way to be saved.”
We asked a professor of sleep medicine to weigh in on less extreme methods now found in the scientific literature and on social media. Which of these work and which don’t?
1. Before going to bed, take a hot shower and then rinse with cold water.
– Warm water activates a thermoregulation mechanism that leads to cooling of the body. This is exactly what is needed when going to bed, says Dr. Buzunov. – For greater comfort, you can then rinse with slightly cool water. But not too cold and not for too long. Otherwise, the mechanism of increasing body temperature will be triggered.
2. Cover yourself with a blanket, keeping your arms and legs out. This will “improve heat dissipation through the extremities due to the contrast with the temperature of the covered body.”
– Dubious advice. Heat removal comes from the surface of the entire body. The more open the body is, the better the thermoregulation, says the expert.
3. Before going to bed, put the sheet and pillowcase in the freezer.
– It will cool you down for a while and may help you fall asleep. But if it is too hot in the room, it will not last long. The underwear will dry out, the body will heat up, the person will sweat again and sleep poorly, the doctor says.
Editor’s note: Experimenting with ice packs is not recommended for some diseases. For example, people with cystitis and other inflammatory processes.
4. Immerse your face in ice water for 30 seconds. “This will trigger the so-called mammalian diving reflex. As a result, your pulse and blood pressure will decrease and it will be easier to fall asleep,” they advise on social media.
– A strong and healthy person can try such an extreme method. The rest are at risk of developing sinusitis or frontal sinusitis. In general, I do not recommend this method to a wide range of people, says the doctor.
5. Breathe in lavender. Place a pillow filled with lavender flowers on your bed. Or inhale the scent of lavender oil.
A scientific study found that the scent of lavender has a calming effect and can be used to improve sleep.
“Yes, you can try it,” our expert agrees. – There are even special lavender sprays that you can spray on your pillow. This does not affect thermoregulation in any way, but it can produce a slight calming and relaxing effect. And peace is important for a normal sleep.
THIS WILL BE USEFUL
What else does Professor Buzunov advise?
– There is “cooling” bedding: pillows, mattresses, bed linen. They are made of highly thermally conductive materials and fillers. “For example, a pillow with a special gel inside will always be a little cold,” explains Roman Buzunov.
– Do not eat 2.5-3 hours before bedtime. Especially fatty foods. “In the process of active digestion, heat is generated, the body heats up even more. It will be even more difficult to fall asleep and the quality of sleep will deteriorate,” warns the expert.
– Limit caffeine: no more than one cup of coffee a day, before 12 noon.
– Use air conditioning whenever possible.
– Use anti-stress techniques that are comfortable for you in such weather. They can help not only with psychological stress, but also with increased anxiety caused by heat stress. Examples of such techniques can be found in the “Health” section of KP.RU, as well as in the book by Dr. Buzunov and Sofia Cherkasova, published by KP publishing house – “Intentional Calm. A program to combat stress and anxiety.”
TO THE POINT
Is temperature more important than light?
How did people sleep before our era? What influenced the time of waking and going to bed the most? To find out, a group of American anthropologists observed the life of several tribes in northern Tanzania (the aborigines had no electricity, heating or other amenities of civilization). The researchers analyzed several parameters: sleep duration, time of falling asleep and waking up, relationship to natural light, ambient temperature and time of year. As a result, the scientists came to the conclusion: the sleep of local residents is not so much tied to sunlight, but… to temperature changes. People did not fall asleep immediately after sunset, when it got dark, but a couple of hours later, just when it was noticeably colder. And they woke up not exactly at dawn, but earlier or later, when it was noticeably warmer. “It seems that the most powerful natural regulator of sleep is the daily temperature cycle,” the authors of the study conclude.
From the editor: We note that in this case we are talking about life in conditions where there are no temptations of civilization – television and smartphones. And also the overwhelming stress and anxiety that accompany us today. According to somnologists, it is these factors that most affect the sleep of modern people. But temperature, of course, cannot be ruled out. Especially when it is abnormally high and in itself becomes a stress provoker (see above).
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