You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t regard summer as their favorite season. This is particularly true for people who hail from parts of the country with untenably cold and snowy winters. For them, summer represents a much-needed respite from months of downright dangerous weather.
However, while summer weather may be preferable to winter weather, it isn’t without its inconveniences. For instance, the intense heat many areas experience throughout the summertime can make getting a peaceful night’s rest an uphill battle.
So, if extreme temperatures have been known to interfere with your nightly respite, consider the following tips for summer-proofing your sleeping space.
1. Install a Good Ceiling Fan
When looking for ways to enhance your overnight comfort, you can’t go wrong with a high-quality ceiling fan. The right ceiling fan will be able to effectively circulate cool air produced by your AC system throughout your sleeping space, thus ensuring comfortable nighttime temps. Alternatively, you can enable your ceiling fan to produce a downward-flowing cooling breeze by setting its blades to rotate counterclockwise.
Of course, not all ceiling fans are equally dependable. As such, make a point of exercising discernment when shopping around for the right one. The fan you ultimately choose for your sleeping space should be user-friendly, feature a convenient array of settings and come with a manufacturer guarantee. Additionally, if you’re interested in having your new fan double as a source of light, you’ll need to limit your scope to ceiling fans with lights.
2. Install a Window-Based Air Conditioner
If your home lacks a central air system, a window-based air conditioner can be a great tool for cooling your sleeping space. However, in order for a window unit to offer maximum effectiveness, it will need to be properly installed. So, if you have little to no experience in this area, it’s best to farm this task out to someone who does.
Furthermore, without proper maintenance, window units can wear down fairly quickly. That being the case, make sure to clean the unit and change its filter as needed. Again, if this is an area in which you lack experience, seek assistance from someone who knows what they’re doing.
3. Minimize Sunlight
The blazing summer sun can prove highly inconvenient during the early morning hours. For one thing, people who can only sleep comfortably in complete darkness are liable to have a hard time snoozing past dawn with ample sunlight pouring in from their windows. In addition, excessive sunlight stands to increase the temperature of your sleeping space, which can prove uncomfortable – especially to those of us who are sensitive to heat.
So, if intense sunlight habitually interferes with your summertime slumber, there’s no time like the present to get a handle on the problem. To this end, blackout screens can prove tremendously helpful. These screens are extremely cost-effective and can be applied to windows with very little effort. However, they do wear down over time, and since many of them are adhesive-based, they generally cannot be reattached to windows after being taken down.
While a little costlier than the aforementioned screens, blackout curtains offer a longer-lasting and more effective solution to outside light. These curtains are composed of thick thermal materials, making them highly adept at minimizing the amount of sunlight that finds its way into your bedroom.
4. Purchase Warm Weather Bedding
Using sheets and comforters designed for cold weather during the summer months is guaranteed to result in considerable discomfort. For this reason, you’ll need to invest in bedding that’s specially designed for warm weather. When searching for the right summer bedding, look for sheets and bedspreads made from light, breathable materials, like cotton, silk and bamboo.
After a bitterly cold, snow-filled winter, the reemergence of summertime can be cause for celebration. Being able to comfortably engage in outdoor recreation, embark on travel excursions and engage in other fun summer activities marks a welcome change of pace from holing up inside and trying to stay warm.
However, even if summertime is your jam, enjoying a good night’s sleep in swelteringly hot weather can be quite the challenge. Fortunately, by making a few simple changes to your sleeping space, you can set the stage for a season full of comfortable nights.
Keep being AllDayChic!
