Stick to a Pre-Sleep Routine
The best thing you can do to continue getting some shut-eye is to stick to a pre-sleep routine, says sleep wellness expert Nancy Rothstein of The Sleep Ambassador and host of The Sleep Radio Show. “Most people don’t prepare for sleep,” Rothstein says. “I would say in the half hour or the hour before bed you have to unwind.” Even if your schedule gets a bit erratic in the summer with after work happy hours or outdoor concerts, taking time to do the same routine each evening can help put you in a relaxed mindset before bed.
So, what exactly should you do in that time? Take a shower or bath, chat with your partner, read a book (not on a tech device) or try a mindfulness exercise, Rothstein recommends. “Then you have to look at this as a transition to sleep,” she says. “Whatever it is, your brain and your body really relish that transition.”
Make Some Sacrifices
Warmer months are an ideal time to get outdoors and perhaps make more plans with family and friends than you tend to during the colder months. But be sure that you are swapping the tech time for fun outdoor activities. “Cut the TV or screen time,” Dimitriu says. “It’s okay to be out with friends later than usual, and to get home at 9 [p.m.] on a weekday.”
What is not the best idea is to then spend 3-4 hours scrolling through Instagram and watching through Netflix like you might in the winter months when you get home earlier. Keep as close as possible to your usual bedtime — and if you’re getting home later because you’re out doing something fun, nix TV time or some usual evening errands, Dimitriu says.
Create a summer ‘Sleep Sanctuary’
It’s important to create a “sleep sanctuary” for yourself, particularly as the temperature climbs since stuffy rooms are the enemy of shut eye. “For people who don’t have AC, invest in your sleep with a good fan,” Rothstein says. Change your linens to thinner fabric and sleep in lighter, natural fabrics than during winter months. “If you’re waking up sweating, then you have too much bedding or you need to get a fan,” she says.
“What is your body saying to you and are you listening? Your body is going to tell you by sweating or shivering or feeling comfortable.” And what to do about the light streaming through your window? Rothstein recommends buying some blackout curtains to keep the sunshine from disturbing your sleep. For a cheaper alternative, try a sleep mask, she says.