5 Tips To Keep Your Bedroom Cool This Summer
Many of us have spent a summer night tossing and turning because it’s too hot. To help keep your bedroom cool and get a good night’s sleep, here are several useful tips.
Open a window in the evening
Opening a window may seem like an obvious way to cool down your bedroom. However, you should be careful of when you open it – if you open it during the hottest part of the day, you might just be letting in hot air. The air should be cooler in the evening, making this a great time to open a window.
One trick that can help to cool the air is to hang a wet bed sheet in front of the window. The air will travel through the bedsheet and pick up cool moisture from the fabric.
Close the curtains during the day
Leaving curtains open during the day will allow sunlight to pour in, which will make your bedroom hotter. Shutting the curtains will keep the sunlight out and should keep your room cool.
Obviously, this can depend on the type of curtains you have and whether the room is already warm. If you have thick winter curtains and the room is already hot, closing these curtains could just trap the hot air in. Thin blackout blinds or thin blackout curtains should allow ventilation while keeping all sunlight out.
Make use of fans
Fans are a great way to keep your home cool by helping to circulate the air. Ideally you want to push away the hot air and attract the cool air.
Ceiling fans are a great way of keeping a room cool. Installing a modern fan outlet can help to push cool air towards the floor. Just make sure that it is set to counter-clockwise – if it is rotating clockwise, it will have the opposite effect and will draw hot air up. Selecting a faster speed will also help with cooling.
You can also try using tabletop fans and tower fans. Positioning two in opposite corners of the room can create a crosswind, which will help to pump out hot air. Alternatively, you could place a single fan facing an open window – while this may sound silly, it can actually help to stop hot air coming in.
Switch to cooler bedding
It may be worth considering the type of bedding that you’re using. Certain materials may not be as breathable causing sweatiness or may absorb heat.
Cotton, silk and bamboo are some of the best materials for bed sheets in summer. To keep them cool during the day, keep your duvet pulled back. Some people go as far as putting their bedsheets in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes in the evening before placing them on the bed so that they are nice and cool.
When choosing a duvet, avoid thick duvets that are likely to trap heat. It’s worth looking at the tog rating (the level of thermal insulance) – summer duvets should ideally be between 1.0 and 4.5. Such duvets are likely to be lighter and much more breathable. Of course, you could also try using blankets or simply another sheet rather than a duvet.
There are also gel and bamboo pillows on the market that are designed to stay cool throughout the night. With such a pillow, you’ll never have to turn it over to get the cold side.
Invest in air con
Air conditioning is the most expensive method of keeping a home cool, but it is the most effective option. Consider looking into air con options if you don’t already have air conditioning in your home.
There are portable air conditioning units that you can buy to keep a single room cool. These could be ideal for just keeping a bedroom cool if you’re not concerned about cooling the rest of the home.
Alternatively, you could consider installing a home air conditioning system. An effective air conditioning system will help you to keep every room cool. Many modern systems are a lot more energy-efficient and effective than older systems – if you already have an old air conditioning system, you could consider upgrading it to ensure better cooling. Make sure that your air conditioning is regularly serviced so that it’s operating at maximum effectiveness.
