Simple hot water bottle hack can help you sleep during the heatwave

For most people in the UK, sleep will have been hard to come by over the last few days due to the uncharacteristically warm weather. The country experienced its warmest night on record on Monday (18 July) as the extreme heat saw temperatures remain in the mid-20s. The highest overnight temperatures recorded were 24.5C in Aberporth, West Wales, 25.8C in Kenley, in the London Borough of Croydon, and 25.9C at Emley Moor, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, according to the Met Office. The previous highest daily minimum record was 23.9C which was recorded in Brighton on 3 August 1990. It comes as a potential high of 41C is forecast for Tuesday (41C), meaning another unbearably warm night is likely in store this evening. If you are struggling to get any rest due to the heat, there are a few cheap and simple hacks you can try to help keep your bedroom cool - including using a hot water bottle. Now, a hot water bottle is traditionally used to keep you warm, but if you fill it with cold water it can help to cool you down. Simply fill the bottle with ice cold water and place it in your bed. This will help to lower your body temperature as you fall asleep, and make your bed feel lovely and cool. Some people on TikTok have recommended filling the bottle with cold water and then putting it in the freezer for a couple of hours to make sure it is icy cold. But some manufacturers have noted that frozen water could damage the material of many hot water bottles, meaning it could burst the next time hot water is added. If you do put it in the freezer, make sure to only fill the bottle half way rather than to the top, or just keep one bottle separate for cold use and the other for hot. How else can I keep cool at night? Swapping your heavy duvet for a lower tog-rating between 1 and 1.45, or a light cotton sheet, can help to keep you cooler when trying to sleep at night. Cotton pyjamas are a good option to sleep in as they are light and breathable, which should keep your body cool. Taking a cool shower or bath in the evening can also help as this will lower your body temperature before sleeping. Research also shows that putting your feet in cold water is a good way to reduce core body temperature, so this is worth a try before bed too. Make sure to keep your blinds closed during the day, especially in south facing rooms, to keep the heat out, and close doors to rooms you aren’t so the air stays cool. When temperatures drop in the evening it may be worth opening your windows before you go to bed to allow your home to cool down naturally. If you have an air conditioner unit, this is the quickest way to cool down any room. But if you don’t have one, you could try placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan to create a homemade cold mist machine. Simply place a shallow bowl or pan of ice in front of a fan to generate an ice cool breeze that won’t break the bank.