How to sleep in a hot room?

Question

It's 40 degrees celsius / 104 degrees fahrenheit outside and in my room it's 30 degrees celsius / 86 degrees fahrenheit (I don't have air conditioning).
How am I suppose to sleep in such a hot room?
P.S Please don't answer "get an air conditioning".

Answer 1

I also faced similar problem when I was in Rajasthan last year. You can use following tips to make your life a bit easier:

1. Do whatever you can to prevent excessive heat build-up in your room. During the hot daytime use blinds to keep out sunlight and keep the windows closed if the temperature outside is much hotter than inside.

2. At night time, if the temperature is less outside than inside, open your windows. It will cool down your room a bit.

3. Try sleeping on the floor as they may be 5 - 10 degrees cooler than the walls. I know it may sound a bit awkward but in India many people sleep on the floors.

4. Stay hydrated and take a cold shower before you sleep.

Hope these tips may help you.

Answer 2

You're probably experiencing the reason air conditioning (cooling) is so widespread in regions where weather gets into the high 30s (C) or higher on a routine basis: regardless of daytime coping methods, sleep is disturbed by excessive heat.

Given genuine air conditioning isn't an option for you, you might try some alternatives. A fan is the place to start, but if you're like me, constantly moving air will disturb your sleep nearly as much as heat -- and if the fan isn't blowing directly on you, it doesn't do much good.

An alternative that still uses a fan is, rather than blowing the fan directly on your body, blow it across a bowl or bag of ice. This will cool the entire room, and can make a significant difference. It will inevitably raise the humidity however, and may improve comfort for only a short time before the climbing humidity undoes the benefit.

Another alternative is to take a cool shower immediately before going to bed. Not cold; that will tend to wake you up and is counterproductive, but water at around swimming pool temperature (say, near 25 C) is cool enough to cool your skin and remove much of the "sweaty" feeling that comes from heat and humidity, without the undesirable effects of chilling.

Another possible technique, especially if your local humidity is low, is to barely dampen the top sheet. This will provide evaporative cooling for up to a few hours. Used in conjunction with a fan, the temperature differential can be 10 degrees C or more.

Answer 3

Hammocks are probably among the best ways to keep cool and stay comfortable in a warm bedroom without AC. Many many people in Central and South America sleep in hammocks every night, at least in part because it is a cooler option than a mattress. They don't trap heat like mattresses will, and allow airflow around your entire body, allowing your body heat to escape.

If you combine the hammock with a fan or slightly damp sheets that should help a lot.

Answer 4

A hot shower before bed opens the pours --- the body will sweat a bit and the evaporation of that sweat will cool your body. Of course sleeping naked with a fan in the room to keep the air circulated (not directly on you) will help with evaporating the sweat and cooling you down. A futon on the floor is a great idea. Happy slumber!!!

Answer 5

You didn't mention whether it was a humid heat or a dry heat - key distinction! I'm assuming it is humid where you live, so here goes... I lived for a year in Douala, Cameroon - consistently "hot and oppressive year round" with high humidity (to the extent your shoes will literally mold overnight if not kept in a lighted cabinet). I managed for a year without AC by bouncing an oscillating table fan off the ceiling onto my bed, and onto a mosquito coil which also kept the mossies away. I was reasonably comfortable with that arrangement. Make sure your mattress isn't contributing to the problem by holding in your body heat - e.g. foam mattresses often make it worse. Also use cotton sheets, not polyester.... A cool shower before bed cools me down and helps me fall asleep - it seems to "reset" my body temperature before trying to sleep.

Answer 6

Actually I think "get an air conditioning" is the best possible answer in your situation. But if you are unable to get/install one you could use fan instead.

Answer 7

I haven't tried this myself yet, but I've heard of people wearing wet socks to bed. Let your feet out of the covers to let the water evaporate off and cool you off. Have a spray bottle by the bed to rewet the socks if you wake up hot and they are dry.

If you try this, let me know how it goes.

Answer 8

I got for a damp sheet or T-shirt with a fan blasting on me. Living in Arizona, my air conditioner failed a few weeks ago when it was 116. Got up to 96 in my room. Wet the top sheet, wrung it out, and set fans to high / oscillate. I fell asleep without a problem.

Answer 9

Apart from some great hacks above, you could try this one. Wet your curtains with water (preferably cold) and run your fan on full speed. This will replicate an AC and your room would become cool enough to sleep comfortably. Oh and while you do this, make sure your curtains are closed, and that there is no way for heat to enter the room

Note: This hack might make your curtains look wrinkly or might increase in length if they are made from stretchable fabric. So, choose the right curtain.

Answer 10

I live in the city where 30degree to 40degree is normal temperature. Try the below things.

1. Take some bath towel and put it into the freezer for some time and when you go to the bed just put that towel on your body. You will feel like you are in air conditioner.
2. Drink cold water it will cool your body.
3. Take bath with regular cold water.
4. Use only shorts not to wear all clothes.
5. Use ceiling fan or small table fan. Small table fan blow cold air than the ceiling fan.

6. Use small portable fan.

   

7. Eat ice cream or snow candy which feels you cold.

8. Put ice in 4-5 zip bags and put it around you it will make you cold.

9. As I see one answer is sleep on floor it works. If it is hard to sleep on floor then here is hack. Make your bed cold with ice for e.g. put ice on some bottles or cold water and put it on bed so that your bed will remove heat and when you go for bed just remove all that bottles it will cold the bed.

10. You can put your bed sheet on freezer and when you go to sleep it use that bed sheet it will make you cold.

11. Use air water cooler.

Answer 11

Wear wet clothes or put a wet towel on your body and feel cold for at least one hour. I personally do this when I don't have access to any cooling hardware.

I don't know where you live and whether you are looking for a long-term or just a temporary solution? If there's a place with trees and river, then it should be cooler than anywhere else and it is suitable for rest and relax. But this is a temporary solution of course.

Answer 12

In the hot Mediterranean region, during summer, the locals take a cool swim before sleeping to cool down the body. A cool shower does not really work, it needs to be at least a bath.

Also, Bananas have a very good cooling effect.

Answer 13

In my hometown temperature is 42 degree Celsius currently which reaches to 49 many times. And there are so many mosquitoes which are the biggest challenge for me.

AC is the best solution. if you want to save energy bill then AC with solar panel can be a good idea. Otherwise keep the refrigerator always door open(don't take it on the serious note). Or in last you can use water fans with some dehumidifier in the room.

Or you can create something like by your own;

However I'm not sure how effective it is. The other thing you can use the Camphor oil on your body and head. You can also put ice packs in some poly bag and put them under the bed sheet. You can fill hot water bottle with ice and try that.

In last, cover all the entrance (wherever possible) with plants and trees. Believe me they will reduce the temperature not only of your room but whole environment.