The poor quality of sleep in the summer is not only caused by the heat. Spending all day in an air-conditioned room is also a problem. We will explain how to set the temperature of the air conditioner and how to use a fan to help you sleep well in the summer, how to wake up comfortably, and how to take a power nap to recover your power to avoid summer fatigue.
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Is it because of the air conditioner? Reasons for poor sleep quality in the summer
Our body temperature fluctuates about 1°C during the day. Body temperature peaks in the evening and at night, then decreases gradually, reaching the lowest in the early morning. If you can adjust this temperature change, you can sleep soundly and stay awake during the day.
However, if you spend all day in an air-conditioned room, your body temperature changes less. The so-called “air conditioning disease” is an increasing number of people who are suffering from not only women but also men.
As a countermeasure, it is recommended to keep the difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature within 5 degrees Celsius during the day and to warm the body. Don’t just put on a slightly thicker layer or put it on your knees to keep you warm, but also actively drink and eat something warm to warm your body from the inside. In Chinese medicine, root vegetables such as ginger are recommended. Also, some people use body warmers even in the summer, and summer heaters are now available on the market.
At night, take a lukewarm bath. When it’s hot, people tend to just take a shower, but if you soak in lukewarm water at 38-40°C for about 20 minutes, the blood vessels in your hands and feet will open and your body temperature will drop more easily. It is a law of nature that when the body temperature drops, sleepiness increases. Bathing also has a relaxing effect, so it’s one stone for a good night’s sleep. It is also recommended to add a few drops of lavender or chamomile essential oil to the bathtub for an aroma bath.
How to use air conditioners and fans to help you sleep better in summer
There are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep when it comes to temperature settings and usage time.Over-reliance on the air conditioner is a problem, but it is important to use it well. An air conditioner is essential for a good night’s sleep on a hot tropical night.
A bedroom temperature of 26°C or less and a humidity of 50-60% are ideal for sleeping. Turn on the air conditioner 30 minutes to 1 hour before you plan to go to bed, and set a timer so that it will turn off 2 to 3 hours after you fall asleep.
If it’s too hot to sleep in the morning, set the cooler to turn on again about 30 minutes before your scheduled wake-up time. Don’t leave the air conditioner on all night because it can cause summer colds.
In addition to the air conditioner, use the fan effectively. For every 1 m/s increase in wind speed, the perceived temperature drops by about 1°C. Depending on the size of the fan and the distance from the fan, even a typical home fan can blow 1 to 2 meters per second. Fans consume less power than air conditioners, so they are eco-friendly.
Ideally, use a fan to mix the air slightly above your body. If you want the wind to hit your body, it will be too cold if the wind continues to hit the same place, so let it shake its head or use the rhythm function. In particular, if you blow the wind from your feet to your lower legs, it will be too cold and you will be more likely to get cramps, so be careful.
My recommendation is to blow the wind on your head. One of the purposes of sleep is to cool down the brain, so blowing air on your head to cool your brain will help you fall asleep easier. It is said to be “head cold foot fever”, but it also applies to sleep.
Early rising habits that are effective for summer sleep! Tips for waking up comfortably
Getting up early has more than three mon benefitsNo matter how much you sleep, if you do not wake up comfortably and refreshed, you cannot sleep well.
Light has been attracting attention as an element that improves the feeling of awakening. It turns out that gradually increasing the light starting 30 minutes before your scheduled wake-up time makes you wake up more refreshed than if you didn’t.
The sunrise time in Tokyo in mid-July is around 4:30 am. If you don’t close the blackout curtains or shutters, the bedroom will start to get bright around 4am, and it will be quite bright around 5am. Set your alarm clock early and sleep with the curtains slightly open. When the alarm clock rings, open the curtains and let the morning sun shine in. Light resets your body clock and a new day begins.
The government also recommends a morning lifestyle, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare used to run a campaign to become a morning person called “Morning Chare!”. Eating, exercising, and learning are the keys to enhancing your morning lifestyle. Breakfast awakens the body clock in the stomach and intestines and supplies the brain with glucose as an energy source. Light exercise, such as walking, improves blood circulation in the body and brain, wakes you up well, and helps you work and study. In addition, the morning is the time of the day when the brain is most active, so you can study and work efficiently.
Furthermore, by shortening the use of lights and air conditioners at night, we will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and benefit the earth.
Take a nap in your free time and regain power that will not lose to summer fatigue!
When you’re sleepy, sleep wins. Repel sleepiness with a good power nap!Early risers may experience sleepiness during the day in the early days. In such a case, find a little time and doze off. A short sleep, especially in the morning, can help compensate for the lack of sleep the night before. Call it a “power nap” instead of just a nap, and you’ll feel less guilty.
If you do take a nap, sit in your chair and sleep for 10-30 minutes during your lunch break. Of course, if you have enough time, you can sleep for about an hour and a half like a siesta, but it seems quite difficult in Japan today. If you take caffeine such as coffee before your nap instead of after it, you will wake up refreshed and you won’t feel drowsy all the time.
No long naps after 3pm. Even if you try to sleep at night, you may not be able to fall asleep or sleep lightly, resulting in poor sleep quality. It would be nice if I could get some sleep on the train on the way home…
There are things you can do to improve your sleep not only at night, but also in the morning and during the day. Do what you can do little by little and get through the hot summer in good health.
