Sussex and Surrey mini-heatwave: Experts share six tips to get a good night's sleep

The NHS has urged people to take precautions to stay safe as a ‘mini heatwave’ hits the South East.

The entirely of the South East is set to ‘bask in the warmth of a mini-heatwave’, according to NHS England.

The hot weather is thanks to warmer air arriving from Scandinavia and central Europe, according to the Met Office.

The weather service said high pressure will continue today (Wednesday, April 30), with temperatures in the 20s, hitting a weekly high on Thursday.

With these temperatures, getting a comfortable night's sleep during the warmer weather can be a challenge, which is why sleep experts at Bed Kingdom have shared their advice to prevent overheating and to get a good night's sleep throughout the mini-heatwave.

If you’re trying – and struggling – to keep your body temperature under control at night, try these tips:

– Avoid strenuous exercise, alcohol, and spicy food

The experts at Bed Kingdom say: “Strenuous exercise before bed gets your blood pumping and keeps your heart rate and body temperature up. Doing this before bed will keep your body feeling warm and will prevent you from staying cool as you try to nod off. Instead it’s best to exercise in the morning when temperatures tend to be cooler.

"Alcohol will make you feel hot. Remember the ‘beer blanket’ (That warm feeling after drinking alcohol?). It’s that warm feeling your body feels as it tries to manage alcohol consumption. While your body is not actually heating up, it will feel like it and may prevent you from feeling cool and comfortable at night.

"Spicy food often contains capsaicin, which can increase your body temperature and interrupt your sleep. Also, eating spicy food before you go to bed may give you indigestion, making it difficult to feel able to drift off as your body battles discomfort.”

Practice mindfulness and meditation

The Bed Kingdom experts added: “Anxiety can cause your fight-or-flight response, which can lead to night sweats in bed, which is a common stress symptom. Setting aside ten minutes for a mindfulness exercise before bed, such as meditation or journaling can relieve some worries and prime your mind for a good night’s sleep, helping you to stay cool throughout.”

Turn off unnecessary electronics before bed

Electronic devices such as computers, games consoles and TVs can get hot after use, leaving rooms, especially smaller ones, ‘feeling stuffy and trapped with heat’, the Bed Kingdom experts said.

They added: “It’s best to switch these devices off an hour before you go to bed to let the room cool down. This also has the added benefit of preventing the blue light from devices interfering with your sleep cycle, letting you drift off to sleep easier at night.”

Switch to breathable bedding – and avoid these

If you’re struggling to find a comfortable position to sleep in, you may be using bedding that is ‘not breathable enough for the summer months’, the experts said.

“Cooling bed sheets should wick moisture away from you and help you to regulate your core body temperature,” they added.

"Many people choose microfibre bedding as it is a low-cost option. However, it is made from synthetic fibres that aren’t very breathable. Other fabrics to avoid during the summer are polyester, nylon, rayon, and silk.

“Cotton is one of the more popular fabrics for bedding as it is breathable and versatile. It can keep you cool on hot summer nights and warmer in the winter months, though this is dependent on the weaving and thread count. Cooling cotton sheets are typically between a thread count of 250 and 300, and should not be more than 500. Cotton is also durable enough to last years of use.

“Linen fabrics can keep you cool at night. Bed linen can absorb a fifth of its weight before beginning to feel damp, making it an effective choice to keep the fabric fresh if you often get hot at night. This fabric type can be less likely to stick to your body.

“Bamboo fabric has become popular over the years as it is an eco-friendly alternative to synthetics. It can be more breathable than cotton, and the natural, soft, and durable material is a good choice for those who have allergies.

“Eucalyptus sheets, like bamboo, are another eco-friendly option made of natural materials, which can effectively wick moisture and stay breathable all night. It can dry quickly, deter dust mites and is hypoallergenic.”

Have a light meal for dinner - avoid heavy fats and carbs

Eating a meal too close to your bedtime can be ‘harmful to your sleep’, the experts warned.

"The more food you eat, the more uncomfortable you may feel. Heavy meals tend to be high in fats and carbohydrates, which takes more energy for your body to break down. This could lead to feeling bloated and uncomfortable when trying to sleep at night.

“The recommended space between your last meal of the day and your bedtime is about three hours, which gives time for your body to process any food eaten. Opting to eat fats and carbohydrates earlier in the day, and eating a light meal at night, will require less from your body while you drift off, as your body has done the work to break food down earlier in the day.”

Take a shower before bed

Showers can ‘help to regulate our body temperature’, which can ‘ease us into a peaceful sleep’.

The final tip from the experts read: “When it’s hot, a lukewarm shower can cool your core temperature down. A cool shower can be more beneficial than a hot shower to help you fall asleep faster. However, a hot shower can still help as your body temperature will change as you dry off.

"Whether you prefer to take a hot or cold shower, try to avoid extreme temperatures, as they can negatively affect how you sleep.”

Ashley Hainsworth, a spokesperson for Bed Kingdom, said this month's mini-heatwave ‘may have taken many by surprise’.

"With temperatures reaching as high as 29C, it's understandable that many Brits will be struggling to get a good night's sleep over the next few days.

"Increased temperatures can significantly disrupt the body's natural ability to cool down, which is why it's so important that you're taking the correct measures to maintain a healthy sleep schedule during the warmer weather."

NHS England said temperatures are set to reach highs of 24-27 degrees this week.

While many people enjoy the warmer days, hot weather can cause some to become unwell through overheating (becoming uncomfortably hot), dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

The Met Office said the highest recorded April temperature was in 1949 when Camden Square in London recorded 29.4°C on April 16. The highest May temperature recorded was 32.8°C on May 22, 1922, also in Camden Square, London.

Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Thursday looks set to be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures climbing notably above the seasonal average.

"Overnight temperatures will also be very high in places. It’s possible national and station records for daytime and overnight temperatures may be broken, but it’s unclear at this point whether heatwave criteria will be reached in some of the lower category areas which require temperatures to reach 25°C or above for three consecutive days. The far north will always see cooler conditions, with these more seasonal temperatures likely spreading erratically south later in the week.”