Summer temperatures are finally upon us in Essex, with the mercury set to soar beyond 30C on Friday.
But they will go no lower than 18C, with humidity expected to make it an uncomfortable night for many
Here, we gather 10 top tips to enable you to keep cool and get a decent sleep in the stifling temperatures.
- Take a lukewarm bath or shower just before heading to bed, just below your body temperature – but don't take a freezing cold one, as this will cause your body to compensate for the heat loss
- Wear lightweight cotton clothes that are light in colour
- Use a cotton sheet rather than a duvet
- Cool a pillow in the fridge
- Put a hot water bottle in the bed – but fill it with ice-cold water
- Sleep lower in the house if possible as heat rises
- During the day, shut blinds and curtains to keep the house cool
- Wear damp clothes to bed or hang a damp sheet over an open window
- Eat fewer fatty foods to decrease metabolic heat
- If you have a fan, point it upwards so it disperses the hot air
