Few things test a good sleeper like a heatwave. You go to bed tired, but the room feels stuffy, the sheets stick to your skin, and you toss from one side of the pillow to the other looking for a cool spot. Heat is one of the most common seasonal sleep disruptors, and it works against the body’s natural night-time cooling process. The good news: with a few adjustments to your room, your bedding and your evening routine, summer nights can become far more restful.
Why heat makes it harder to fall asleep
To drift off, your body needs to lower its core temperature slightly. This natural cooling is part of the signal that tells your brain it is time to sleep. When the bedroom is too warm, that process slows down, and falling asleep takes longer. Heat also makes sleep lighter: you are more likely to wake during the night, and deep, restorative stages of sleep can be cut short. If you would like to understand the role of temperature in more detail, our guide to the ideal bedroom temperature covers the basics.
Prepare the bedroom before night falls
Keep the heat out during the day
The coolest summer bedrooms are the ones that never heat up in the first place. Close windows, curtains and blinds on the sunny side of your home during the day, especially in the afternoon. Once the outside air becomes cooler than the inside air, usually late in the evening, open windows on opposite sides of your home to create a cross-breeze.
Use fans wisely
A fan does not cool the air, but it helps sweat evaporate from your skin, which cools you down. Position a fan so it moves air across the bed rather than blowing directly into your face all night. Placing a fan near an open window in the evening can also help pull cooler outdoor air inside.
Think about what is on your bed
Summer is the season for light, breathable bedding. Choose thin cotton or linen sheets, swap a thick duvet for a light blanket or just a duvet cover, and give your bed a chance to air out in the morning. Breathable materials matter for your pillow too: a pillow with good airflow around the head and neck helps you avoid that unpleasant hot-pillow feeling.
Adjust your evening routine
What you do in the hours before bed matters as much as the room itself. A lukewarm shower before bed helps your body shed heat afterwards. Keep evening meals light, since digestion raises body temperature, and go easy on alcohol, which disturbs the second half of the night. Hydrate steadily through the day rather than drinking a large amount right before bed.
Intense exercise close to bedtime also raises your core temperature for a while. In summer, it is worth moving workouts to the morning or early evening so your body has time to cool down before you lie down.
If you wake up hot during the night
Waking at night in a warm room is common and no cause for alarm. Instead of lying there frustrated, try a simple reset: turn your pillow to the cool side, push the covers off your feet, and take a few slow breaths. Feet and hands release heat efficiently, so uncovering them often brings relief quickly. If you are fully awake, a sip of water and a minute of calm breathing usually work better than reaching for your phone.
Comfort also depends on support. When you are hot, you move more, and a pillow that keeps its shape helps you settle back quickly into a comfortable position. The Derila memory foam pillow is designed to support the head and neck in a natural alignment, whichever position you land in.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sleep without a pillow when it is hot?
Skipping the pillow rarely helps. Your neck still needs support in hot weather, and poor alignment can leave you sore in the morning. A breathable pillow and light bedding are a better combination.
Is it better to sleep with the window open or closed in summer?
It depends on the time of day. Keep windows closed while the outside air is hotter than your room, then open them in the late evening and at night when the air cools down.
Does a cold shower before bed help?
A very cold shower can be counterproductive, as it prompts the body to conserve heat. A lukewarm shower is usually the better choice: it helps blood flow to the skin, which supports natural cooling once you are in bed.
Hot nights do not have to mean short nights. Cool the room early, lighten your bedding, keep your evening calm, and give your neck the support it deserves. Your summer mornings will thank you.