The 2019 hurricane season is heating up in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. We’ve all seen the damage brought to the Bahamas and coastal North Carolina by Hurricane Dorian, and more storms are currently brewing. While no one can truly prepare for a direct hit by a major hurricane, one of the most common problems brought by these storms is power outages. How can you sleep in the summer if you have no power because of these storms or even everyday thunderstorms? Here are some SleepBetter tips for sleeping well without electricity:
- Avoid hot, heavy meals at dinnertime. A rich dinner can come back to haunt you in the middle of the night, especially in the summer.
- Make sure your bed clothes are made up of cool, lightweight and breathable fabrics. Your sheets, blankets and pillows can make a major difference in your summer comfort. Some types of pillows and mattress toppers, such as the Iso•Cool™ from Carpenter Co., stay cool all night. You can learn about them on our Recommended Products page. In the absence of this technology, try to flip your pillow whenever you change positions, keeping the coolest side of the pillow against your face.
- Take a tepid (not hot) bath or shower before bedtime. You’ll feel cool and ready for bed when you get out.
- If you have long hair, put it up in a ponytail or bun on the top of your head so it isn’t covering your neck and shoulders.
- In extraordinarily hot periods, look for the coolest room in your house to sleep. On hotter evenings, this may mean a “family campout” in the basement.
The website wikiHow has also tackled this subject, and gives a number of very novel ideas. Here are just a few of the more creative ones:
- Sleep with a slightly damp cold towel over your feet or behind your neck. You can also wet your socks with cold water and then put them on
- Sleep on a straw or bamboo mat, which won’t retain body heat
- Sleep in a hammock
To read more tips from wikiHow, click here.
