Tropical nights – How to sleep better in hot weather

It is hot in Germany in summer, not only during the day when the sun is shining, but also at night – so how can you sleep better in the heat? Central Europeans, who are used to cooler temperatures, find it difficult to cope with tropical nights and tend to sleep poorly as a result. A so-called tropical night is characterised by temperatures that do not fall below 20 degrees. This scenario, with ever-new heat records, is likely to intensify in the future, and even the German Weather Service (DWD) cannot give the all-clear.

Residents of large cities are particularly affected by the persistent night-time heat, as the heat generated during the day accumulates in the urban canyons, is stored in the walls and then radiated at night. Just like city dwellers, people in mid-latitude regions are also affected by the warm air layers.

Northern high pressure against changeable Atlantic weather

Prolonged heat waves are caused by certain large-scale weather patterns, such as in 2018, when a gigantic high-pressure area settled over northern Scandinavia and the neighbouring northern Russian region from April onwards. It blocked the changeable Atlantic weather that usually determines conditions in Germany.

To combat the night-time heat and the insomnia that often accompanies it, researchers at the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine have published a few tips to help you fall asleep more easily. For example, they recommend wearing breathable clothing, such as cotton. If you put your pyjamas in the fridge about two hours before going to bed, you can enjoy additional cooling and sleep better in the heat. It is also helpful to place a washcloth soaked in cold water or a water bottle frozen in the freezer on your forehead or one of your wrists. This will help you sleep better.

The bedroom itself should be protected from direct sunlight during the day, so close the curtains and only ventilate in the morning and evening. At night, a damp bed sheet hung in front of the open window can also draw heat out of the bedroom.

A piece of wisdom that has long been known in ‘hot’ countries can also be taken to heart in German summers. Instead of ice-cold drinks, warm drinks such as peppermint or herbal tea should be consumed before going to bed. It is also advisable to take a lukewarm shower rather than an ice-cold one before going to bed. This will help you sleep better in hot weather.

The right bedding helps you sleep better in the heat of the night.

The right linen bedding is also a factor in getting a good night’s sleep in tropical conditions. It can even be better than sleeping without a duvet. A light summer duvet helps in two ways. Firstly, it protects against sudden draughts during sleep and secondly, it can absorb and wick away moisture from the body. Excessive sweating and the associated feeling of unpleasant, sticky moisture prevent us from sleeping better in the heat.

Ideally, all bed linen, i.e. mattress covers, sheets, pillows and duvets, should be made of linen. Linen fabric, which is made from flax fibres, has several properties that make it the ideal material for bed linen. When it comes to tropical nights in the UK, the most important of these is, of course, its ability to absorb a lot of moisture. More so than other fabrics commonly used in the manufacture of bed linen. However, there is another decisive factor. Linen does not retain moisture, but dissipates it evenly into the outside air. This is due to the very smooth structure of the flax fibre and a natural wax coating that surrounds the fibre. This in turn ensures that there are hardly any air pockets in linen fabric that could trap moisture.

Linen bedding acts as a natural air conditioner by absorbing heat released by the body through perspiration and releasing it into the air in the room. This keeps the sleeper comfortably cool. The fabric also has anti-allergenic properties and is dirt-repellent. Combined with the tips mentioned above, this makes it easier to get through even long periods of tropical nights in Germany, where the weather is otherwise rather cool.