Sleeping in hot weather without opening the window

[CraftyLego]

Hi, it is very hot and i am struggling to sleep. i am not opening the windows because of the grass pollen. Does anyone have any tips on how to sleep in this hot weather when you can't open the windows? Thanks

[Patk1]

I'm using my dimplex tower fan and also keeping bedroom door open,with air purifier on high.i take 2 types of antihistamine too.hope u get some sleep x

[CraftyLego in reply to Patk1]

Thanks for replying. I finally managed to position my tower fan better last night It's difficult getting it to hit above the bed so I've raised it. That is a good idea keeping your bedroom door open too. I will try that. I will also keep my purifier on higher and see if that helps.

[Patk1 in reply to CraftyLego]

I have mine diagonally opposite me.i hope u get some sleep xx

[CraftyLego in reply to Patk1]

Thanks. When i get my pedestal fan that's what I will try. I did have the air purifier on normal last night which I think helped. High was extremely noisy.

[Poobah]

I have to have my fan on and directed right at me overnight in order to sleep. I only use a single sheet to cover me. If the temperature gets really high then I have microfibre towels that are lightweight and very absorbent that I dunk in cold water, wring out and use as a cover instead of my cotton sheet. The fan acts to chill the damp towel and it's bliss in oppressively hot weather.

[CraftyLego in reply to Poobah]

Thanks for your reply. I have just ordered a pedestal fan so that I can have it directed at me like you do. I have one of those towels and will try your suggestion. What a brilliant idea! I also have a cotton sheet under the duvet although it's been too hot this last week to use it.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

**Use with caution - this could affect asthma if not careful for some people**

I've found the best options for keeping cold are:

1) to take an ice pack to bed with me like a hot water bottle in winter. Keep it wrapped in something though so you don't get 'ice burn'. I also put microwave hotties in the freezer - check that's ok with yours though. These tend to warm up more quickly than the ice pack, but are nice for daytime, especially if you have more than one and rotate.

2) I always wear pyjamas of some kind to bed even when it's hot, as I find it physically uncomfortable to sleep with nothing on at all. I wear the shortie kind and find it can help to wet them (with cold water lol!!) before bed and then direct the fan at myself - similar to Poobah's suggestion. This one I find can be a bit dodgy for my lungs though if I have a wet fan-chilled PJ top directly on my back - the cold, or maybe the contrast with hot/cold, is something they react to (I also find swimming in cold water does this even if it's hot outside). So be careful!

[CraftyLego in reply to Lysistrata]

Thanks for replying. Two more great suggestions. I will be giving the swimming in cold water a miss though. I know that it's supposed to be fabulous but I can't even stand the thought of a cold shower 🥶 you are very brave 😀 i might try the ice pack idea as we have those.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to CraftyLego]

Lol I don't actually do that as even water that's just a bit colder than the air sets me off 😂 was just saying my lungs don't like cold from the outside so have to be careful. I am not brave hehe.

[CraftyLego in reply to Lysistrata]

I did wonder after I'd replied if I'd misread. I'm totally blaming the heat 😀. Thanks again

[Wheezycat in reply to Lysistrata]

Me, too, I have to be careful, but have found with swimming that if I go into water that is reasonably warm, and the just slowly, it works. I mostly go into mid thigh, then above waist then all the way. It works for me.

[lakelover]

I once heard that if you open your loft hatch at night, (assuming you've got one), the cooler air in the loft falls into the house. Keep it shut during the day when the loft is probably warmer than the house, & if you need to get up during the night switch the light on if the hatch is located near where you are going!

[CraftyLego in reply to lakelover]

Thanks for your idea. I don't think that I'm brave enough as there are massive spiders in our loft 😂😂😂 however, i guess it depends how desperate i become. Worth making a note of.

[Mons]

I am using my air purifier on high and also have a fan in the bedroom which gives me a fairly good sleep. It’s not easy sleeping in this heat though. Hope you find something that helps you. x

[CraftyLego in reply to Mons]

Thanks. I definitely need to try keeping the air purifier on high too. I never do because of the light but it's better than not sleeping.

[Mons in reply to CraftyLego]

Yes I agree about the light on the air purifier but I have got used to it now. Took me a couple of nights to get used to the fan too but wouldn’t want to be without either now in this heat. It’s worth you trying the air purifier on high. Good luck x

[CraftyLego in reply to Mons]

Last night I found the fan soothing. We live near a busy main road and car park. It helped when I found out that they made white noise "fan" tracks as i appreciated the sound more.

[whatallergy in reply to CraftyLego]

I get bothered by the light too but started to have a towel to shove over the light to block it out. Works really well.

[CraftyLego in reply to whatallergy]

Good idea!

[Helloeveryone_]

I also use my purifier and a pedestal fan on rotate so it blows it as it goes past.

I’ve found that the heat has given me headaches and nausea so have really kept my hydration up but one night I read about how to cool yourself down and it said cold flannels in your armpits so I tried that and it really helped.

[CraftyLego in reply to Helloeveryone_]

Thanks hello everyone, I've had to step up the hydration too. I had a glass of water before bed last night and drank whenever I awoke which seemed to help. The flannel idea sounds like a good one.

[JAmanda]

when I lived in a hut country we’d put wet sheets over the curtains and windows so the air would be cooled by the evaporating water.

[CraftyLego in reply to JAmanda]

Thanks for your reply. That's interesting. I keep wondering what people in hotter countries do as they have adapted. I bought a buff to wet and wear on my head, as well as the cool towel which also helped with the evaporation.

[JAmanda in reply to CraftyLego]

I’ve just decided to have air conditioning installed. I’m afraid I can’t live with the curtains closed in every room - it just makes me depressed. For me it’s not so much the bedroom as the living room all day.

[CraftyLego in reply to JAmanda]

I can understand your decision. It's been getting me down and i keep fantasising about opening the windows. I also feel very guilty about my family having to suffer through it.

[runcyclexcski]

I close the windows and suck the air in through a filter at a slow rate to have fresh air. In the bedroom, I put a portable AC that blows the hot air to the outside.

[CraftyLego in reply to runcyclexcski]

Thanks for replying. What is the filter?

[runcyclexcski in reply to CraftyLego]

You need a filter to which you can connect an air duct as input (to direct the air from the outside). IQAir sells a "Healthpro" unit that combines a HEPA and a charcoal/KMnO4 filter (important for forests fires, BBQ smell, fertilizer smell, NO2 and ozone pollution etc -- each of these triggers my asthma, and regular HEPA only removes particles, not volatile chemicals). IQ sells an air supply adapter for this filter which you can connect to a 100 mm duct which you then direct outdoors. The whole setup is about 1K, but compared to asthma misery it's not bad.

The key is not to run it too fast (b.c. in the winter you will make your room cold, and in the summer hot) -- you just need enough of a trickle of fresh air, say 25 m3 per hr to create positive pressure indoors and to force pollutants out. Then the flat/house needs gaskets on all doors etc. With this setup, I would not smell anything inside when people would have BBQs etc outside.

This IQ air setup works well, I used it for 10 years. But now due to the cost of commercial HEPA/charcoal filters and due to their size, I now make my own. I make them portable, so I can take them to hotels by car and by plane when traveling.

[CraftyLego in reply to runcyclexcski]

Wow, i have never heard of that. Amazing what you can do to adapt our homes.

[Evie3]

My daughter bought one of those gel pads (for dogs) that u put in freezer. She puts it under her feet (with a cloth over it) cools her down.

[CraftyLego in reply to Evie3]

What a fab idea 💡 there's so many good ideas on here now. Also worth trying.

[Welland]

I open my loft hatch during the day as hot air rises into the loft space and out through the vents. Also I use my dogs cool mat! It’s great as its pressure activated! Also I have a plant mister in my bedside table. Just mist yourself to stay cool!

[CraftyLego in reply to Welland]

Thanks. That makes sense about the air escaping into the loft. I might have to try that. The mister idea is great too. I'm glad that your dog 🐕 is allowing you to share 😁

[Wheezycat]

My way of coping especially if there is no fan (if I am away from home) is to wet a small towel, and drape it over my head and top part of my face. It helps. Wiping myself with a wet flannel before bed also helps.

[CraftyLego in reply to Wheezycat]

I have my wet buff on my head and wet towel draped round my neck right now with the fan on me. It definitely gives relief doesn't it!

[Lilly_the_unicorn]

We have pollution screens on our windows from Streme. streme.co.uk/shop/clean-air...

We bought it for OH hay fever and it makes a significant difference to him. I am a new asthmatic so I am still learning what being asthmatic is but I am back to having reverse saw tooth peak flow so I am significantly better in the morning than the evening like I was when it was really cold earlier in the year.

We also have an air purifier and a fan running.

[CraftyLego in reply to Lilly_the_unicorn]

I will have a look at that. Thanks so much. I also have better peak flow scores in the morning than the evening. I was diagnosed 16 months ago but they are still puzzling over my symptoms. I attended the asthma uk support session, as well as the mindfulness session and harmonica session..i highly recommend them. The website is full of good information too.

[Lilly_the_unicorn in reply to CraftyLego]

thank you, I will have a look at those sessions. I do a lot of mindfulness using headspace and found the breathing techniques often help when I am having an asthma attack anyway.

[CraftyLego in reply to Lilly_the_unicorn]

Breathwork helps me tremendously too. I hope that you enjoy the sessions.

[Headoverheels]

Get a fan ....

[TheWelshWriter]

Could you buy a net curtain and trim it to size and secure it over the window to trap most of the pollen, preventing it coming in, but allowing some airflow?

[CraftyLego in reply to TheWelshWriter]

I'm not sure whether it would work. An interesting idea though that i will consider. Thanks