Sleeping in a Heatwave: Strategies for Coping with Hot Weather [Video]

High temperatures can disrupt the body’s sleep cycles, leading to health problems. Can knowing strategies and remedies help manage sleep quality?

Hot Weather Sleep

Sleep is important for refreshing the mind and body and being productive in school, work, relationships, and overall health. With record-breaking temperatures becoming the norm, consistently sleeping healthy is becoming difficult as forecasters predict another scorching summer with above-average temperatures. 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2024) Studies show that high temperatures make it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep, which can negatively affect the immune system, cardiovascular system, cognitive performance, and mood. (Zheng, G., Li, K., and Wang, Y. 2019) (Obradovich, N. et al., 2017) Throughout the night, the body cycles through different sleep stages. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2022)

Because the body’s temperature regulation is less effective during certain stages, a hot environment can cause waking so the body can thermoregulate. The right temperature …