Stay cool, sleep soundly: how to get a good night’s rest despite the summer heat
When the sun doesn’t set in the evening, but merely takes a brief breather – when your pillow feels like a heat reservoir and you have to choose between airing the room and dealing with mosquitoes – that’s when it begins: the fine art of sleeping in summer. For athletes, it’s more than just rest. Sleep is their invisible coach, their silent upgrade. And on tropical nights in particular, it becomes a challenge.
But there are solutions. And better ones than simply ‘opening the window and hoping for the best’.
Sleep: Your most powerful recovery tool
Whilst you sleep, your body is working flat out – just in the background. Muscles repair themselves, hormones regulate themselves and the immune system is strengthened. Deep, undisturbed sleep is essential for recovery, particularly after intense training sessions. Anyone who regularly sleeps poorly not only risks a plateau in performance, but also a higher risk of injury and poorer mental recovery.
The crux of the matter in summer: heat slows down the process of falling asleep, disrupts deep sleep and causes frequent night-time awakenings. The result: you wake up – and feel anything but refreshed.
How heat affects your sleep
The body needs its core temperature to drop in order to fall asleep. In summer, however, the body’s natural cooling mechanism reaches its limits – especially if the bedroom is stuffy or you’ve been exercising late in the evening. The REM phases become shorter and your sleep becomes lighter. This has consequences:
- You recover more slowly.
- You’ll be less productive the next day – both physically and mentally.
- You’ll become more prone to mood swings and food cravings.
The good news is: You can turn things round. With smart routines, a bit of knowledge – and discipline.
Timing is everything – even in sport
If you’re still working up a sweat late in the evening, you’ll find it hard to wind down afterwards. Your body temperature stays elevated for too long, and your circulation continues to operate in ‘workout mode’. The ideal time for a workout is in the morning or – for late risers – in the late afternoon. Don’t want to miss out on your evening workout? Then make sure you leave at least 2 to 3 hours before going to bed – and make sure you do a moderate cool-down.
Eat light, sleep better
A full stomach doesn’t sleep well – especially in hot weather. A heavy, protein- or fat-rich evening meal slows down digestion and keeps the body at operating temperature. The better choice: a light meal containing complex carbohydrates, a little tryptophan (e.g. from yoghurt or a banana) and plenty of fluids. A cool herbal tea such as peppermint or lemon balm can also help to calm the body in the evening.
Sleep hygiene for hot nights
It is often the little rituals that make a big difference. Here are some tried-and-tested strategies that work in summer too:
- Darken the room and air it out early: Open all the windows in the morning, then darken the room from midday onwards. That way, the heat stays outside.
- Changing bed linen: Linen or fine cotton rather than synthetic fabrics – breathable and cool.
- Cool foot baths: A short, cold foot bath before going to bed helps to lower your body temperature.
- A water bottle as an ice pack: A frozen hot water bottle (filled with water) in bed works wonders.
- Tech-free zone: Smartphones and the like don’t just keep you mentally alert – they also heat up the room.
The right sleeping environment for athletes
Your bedroom isn’t a gym. It isn’t a home office. It isn’t an entertainment centre. If you make a conscious effort to treat it as a place of tranquillity, you’ll sleep better. This starts with the temperature (ideally: 16–19 °C), moves on to the mattress (not too soft, breathable) and extends to the issue of noise: if you leave windows open – earplugs can make all the difference.
What you should leave out:
- Alcohol: Even though it helps you fall asleep more quickly, it drastically reduces the quality of your sleep.
- Intense conversations or media consumption before bed: They put your nervous system into ‘on’ mode.
- Artificial light: Turn down the brightness in the evening – especially the blue light from screens.
Recovery doesn’t just begin when we sleep – it begins with the decision to protect our sleep
If you stay active during the summer, you’ll need to adapt your recovery strategy. Sleep isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s a key factor in your performance, both physically and mentally. And the more consciously you structure your routine, the deeper you’ll sleep. Even when it’s 28 degrees outside.
Because summer nights can be hot. But your body still needs its cool break.