Embrace these cooling hacks to survive the heat…

The words ‘heatwave’ are nowhere near strong enough to describe the 24/7 boiling hot oven that we all lived in last month – and here we are again. Highlights of my last heatwave fun included driving on the M25 in 40-degree heat, and sleeping in a shepherd’s hut in Sussex with all the windows shut. I woke in the morning feeling like a slow-roasted lamb.

I’d only just cooled down, and now we’re being treated to more, er, glorious sunshine, which looks set for a long stretch this time. This time, however, I fully intend to be prepared. If you’re dreading days of melting like a middle-aged ice-cream, and nights lying in a pool of your own sweat, here are some fail-safe top tips…

Shower smarter

‘Try a warm rather than cold shower,’ suggests professional sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley. ‘Having a cool shower reduces the skin temperature, but not your core. The body may try to produce more heat to re-warm the skin. Having a warm shower heats the skin thus fooling the body to try and cool down.’

For an ‘ice bath’ blast, menthol can be effective. Original Source Men’s Workout Recovery Icy Cool Shower Gel delivers an impressively refreshing hit in hot weather, thanks to the inclusion of menthol, eucalyptus and spearmint. These activate a microscopic sensor in the nerve endings called TRPM8 that detect cold; basically the brain is tricked into thinking you’re cooler.

Sleep easier

Night-time is the hardest part of a heatwave. Dr Stanley points out that we need to lose 0.5 to 1 degrees celsius to get a good night’s sleep. The ideal temperature for a bedroom is around 16 to 18 degrees, which is far cooler than under the duvet, meaning that in normal times simply having your head out is sufficient to cool down.

Not in hot weather.

‘When the bedroom is warmer, it’s harder to lose body heat, and this can cause sleep to become fragmented and disturbed,’ he says.

He suggests having a desk fan create a breeze across your face. ‘It’s even better if the fan is blowing across a bag of frozen peas!’ He also recommends drinking iced water before bed and to have water by the bed if you wake up. ‘You might sleep downstairs if it’s really boiling – heat rises!’

Wear the air conditioning

Cooling fabrics are the way forward, and ideally natural ones, such as cotton. Never mind expensive moisture-wicking sleepwear. I buy packets of men’s cotton boxer shorts from Marks and Spencer as summer pyjama bottoms; roomy, cool and inexpensive!

During the day the Cotton Gauze range from BAM is particularly impressive; organically grown cotton with fibres that retain their natural structure. The open weave allows air flow in and out of the fabric. It’s also super stylish and not horrendously expensive (shorts, currently £38.50)

Think before you drink

Tempting as it may be to have a few refreshing glasses of Pimms whilst watching Wimbledon, try to refrain. ‘Eating and drinking too much in the hot weather means that the body is also having to burn off these calories, making it even more difficult to get a good night’s sleep,’’ says Dr Stanley. ‘Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink and avoid having big heavy meals in the evening.’

Stay hydrated

I have read so many features and press releases in the last few weeks recommending that we drink more water. I mean. Duh! That said, if you feel thirsty it means you’re already mildly dehydrated.

Sip water constantly throughout these hot days and keep an eye on the colour of your wee – if it’s dark, drink more.

I don’t believe that we need to take electrolytes after every single yoga class, but if I’ve sweated through an hour of circuits, or a couple of hours on a packed cross country train (looking at YOU, Great Western Railway), I’ll add an Ancient and Brave True Hydration Sachet to my water.

Clever bedding

I love the Bedsure Reversible Cooling blanket. One side is made from cooling fabric, which is up to two degrees lower in temperature than cotton (I don’t know how they measure this), and up to ten times more breathable. The other side is made from breathable bamboo fibres, so it’s a year-round snuggle.

Or, the Mayfair Cooling Gel Pillow has one cooling side and one ultra-soft bamboo side. The gel side is paired with a cool to the touch ice fabric cover, which draws excess heat away from the face to maintain deep sleep.

The most expensive option is the Pod 5 from Eight Sleep. Full disclosure, I have one of these, and my sleep has been transformed. The Pod 5 is an intelligent sleep system that transforms your existing mattress into a climate-controlled bed. It’s a vast mattress cover and ‘pod’ that sits by the side of the bed, with water-based temperature control that actively cools each side of the bed down to 12°C during the most humid nights. Even better, it adjusts automatically with AI-powered Autopilot so you never wake up too hot or cold. It’s the most sophisticated and – I admit, expensive – sleep tracker ever. Great for menopausal overheating too.

Hot air

As a huge fan (geddit) of Meaco’s fans, which are both great price and great quality. Some models are a bit low in stock from the last heatwave. So if you want a fan head to meaco.com quickly. They really are excellent.

Meaco co-founder, Chris Michael suggests that you fill a hot water bottle with water and freeze it before bedtime. This makes a simple and effective ice pack to keep you cool overnight without adding to your energy bill.

I also love Dyson – the cost per use of my Dyson Pure Hot+Cool™ HP00 Purifying fan heater is probably 0.00001p by now. I notice that they have also sold out of some models.

Get your house in order

This seems counterintuitive, but a number of experts point out that windows and doors can let in heat in the summer. Keep them closed during the day, and also keep blinds, curtains and windows closed during the hottest part of the day, especially if they’re in sunlight. Open them in the evening to allow cooler air in.

Freeze your skin

Finally, though as a beauty writer, this is a priority, I highly recommend putting eye masks in the fridge to cool them (and therefore you). Try Grace & Stella Energizing Eye Masks , which are infused with hyaluronic acid to hydrate and reduce puffiness.

And Geske German Beauty Tech has just launched in the UK. Try the SmartAppGuided™ Cool & Warm Face and Body Massager, which is a lovely smooth gadget that looks like a large Werther’s Original and uses red light and vibration. Run over your body to create a cooling lymphatic massage.