Heatwave Keeping You Up? A Sleep Expert Shares Five Tips

When temperatures climb above 30°C, falling asleep — and staying asleep — can feel almost impossible. Sleep experts say that getting good rest is one of the most important things a person can do for their health. The good news is that a few easy changes to your daily routine can help you sleep much better, even during a heatwave.

Most people know that sleep is important, but many still skip or shorten it. A fitness writer who talks to top athletes and health experts says that better sleep is the single tip that comes up more than any other. Improving your sleep can boost your heart health, give you more energy, help you exercise better, and even help with weight management. People who have tried these tips say the change in how they feel is bigger than almost anything else they have tried.

Sleep expert Dr. Sophie Bostock says that going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is almost as important as how many hours you sleep. Your body has a built-in clock called a circadian rhythm that runs on a 24-hour cycle. When you keep a regular sleep schedule, your body knows when to feel tired and when to feel awake. Shift workers who sleep at different times each day are more likely to deal with tiredness, depression, and heart problems. The National Sleep Foundation agrees, saying that keeping a consistent sleep schedule is key for health, safety, and performance.

What you eat and drink can affect how well you sleep. Fitness author Ben Carpenter says that even one bad night of sleep can mess with the hormones that control hunger, making you want to eat more the next day. A 2023 study found that poor sleep lowers levels of leptin — the hormone that tells your brain you are full — and raises levels of ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry. To sleep better, experts suggest avoiding caffeine for at least eight hours before bed and not eating a big meal within two hours of going to sleep. Eating and drinking caffeine close to bedtime signals your body that there is still work to do, making it harder to fall into a deep sleep.

Fitness coach Joe Wicks says that removing his phone from his bedroom is the most transformative thing he has done to improve his sleep. Without a phone nearby, you are much less likely to scroll through apps late at night or wake up to check messages. Experts say that blue light from phones and TVs can confuse your body's internal clock and make it harder to fall asleep. A 2024 review also found that technology in the bedroom can delay bedtime and disturb sleep in other ways. If taking away devices completely is too hard, experts suggest setting screen time rules in the evening instead.

Light is the strongest signal your body uses to know what time it is. When bright light hits your eyes, your brain thinks it is time to be awake and alert. That is why Olympic silver medallist Kieran Reilly tries to keep his home very dimly lit once evening arrives. Dr. Bostock suggests lighting a candle at dinnertime and keeping lights low from that point on to help your body ease into sleep mode. In the morning, she recommends getting plenty of natural light to help your body wake up fully.

Stress can make it very hard to fall asleep and stay in a deep sleep. Dr. Bostock says there are several things you can try to calm your mind before bed, including journalling, mindfulness, meditation, or thinking about things you are grateful for. Even writing a to-do list can help, because getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper takes away the feeling that you might forget something important. It may seem hard to switch off when emails and news are always just a tap away, but even small steps to reduce stress at night can lead to much better sleep. Try picking just one of these methods and doing it for a week to see how it affects the way you feel.