5 ways to beat the heat when you sleep – that doesn’t involve turning on the A/C

Exhaling sweaty sighs from the news that we’re in for more warm and humid weather this June? We certainly won’t blame you if you have a love-heat relationship with our tropical weather.

According to experts, temperatures in Singapore are set to stay as hot as ever, and the numbers will only keep climbing. This is ironically thanks to what we most love about Singapore, such as our modern concrete buildings, neatly paved tarmac roads as well as our love for air-conditioned spaces.

Case in point? As part of the CNA programme Why It Matters, temperatures at two locations, Orchard Road and Lim Chu Kang, were measured one typical night in Singapore. The result was sobering: Orchard Road with its sparkling buildings was a whole four degrees warmer at 29.1 degrees Celsius than undeveloped Lim Chu Kang, which was a cool 24.8 degrees.

To that end, our government has committed to greening up Singapore by 2030Greener air-conditioning technologies that will be more available and accessible to the general public are also in the pipeline. For now, we can do our part by reducing our reliance on air-conditioners, especially at night when temperatures are slightly cooler than in the mad heat of the day.

Here are five simple tips to clock in some sleep at night without the need to switch on air-conditioning.

1. Keep windows and doors open

Photo source: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

For starters, dipping the temperature in your room at night is as easy as keeping the windows and doors open for ventilation.

With the omnipresent humidity that can feel stifling (plus, it doesn’t help that still air can make any space feel warmer than it really is), any small breeze from opened windows and doors open will help keep the air circulating freely in your room.

2. Use a fan smartly

If you’ve got a fan, turn it on! A fan is a very efficient way of keeping the room temperature down because it generates an enjoyable breeze – even when you don’t have the A/C switched on. Here’s a hack you can try to make your fan circulate even cooler air: put a bucket of ice or a pail of cold water right in front of it.

3. Cool those sheets

Photo source: Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels

Putting a freezing ice pack into your sheets in order to keep the bed cool while you sleep isn’t exactly the best idea (because why would you want to sleep on damp sheets?), but how about investing in a cooling mattress topper to lay under your sheets?

These cooling pads generally work to wick moisture away from your skin and help regulate your body temperature as you sleep. We especially like this natural bamboo topper that looks incredibly soft and plush, you’ll practically feel like you’re sleeping on a cool cloud if you use this.

4. Wear easy-breezy PJs

Ditch the luxe satin and silk if you’re snoozing without the air-conditioner. Instead, opt for PJs made of lightweight and breathable fabrics like cotton, linen, bamboo, and modal.

Plus, you’d also want to keep the fabric away from your skin as much as possible so the more loose-fitting your sleepwear, the better. To start, here’s a pair of modal shorts in the most gorgeous shade of lilac you can consider getting.

5. Load up on H2O

The science is out: water is truly your best friend when it comes to keeping yourself cool as you catch some Z’s at night!

When you’re dehydrated, you are more likely to feel warm so chugging down a glass of water before bed will do the trick in keeping your body temperature nice and regulated. Your skin will thank you too, of course.