Does the warm weather in Dubai affect your sleep?
Tossing and turning on a hot summer night, wondering why the universe seems to conspire against your precious sleep; we’ve all been there. I’ve been there. Especially in often-sweltering places like the UAE, where I live, getting a good night's rest isn't just about finding the perfect mattress or silencing the world outside, it's about temperature. The right temperature, for both your room and your body.
The sleep-temperature tango
You’re likely aware that there are different stages of sleep.
Did you know, though, that your body and sleep stages are in a constant dance with temperature? As we sleep, our internal thermostat plays a pivotal role first in determining how well we drift off to dreamland, and then in the quality of the dreams we have once we’re there.
Let's break it down:
- Falling asleep: ever noticed that sleepy feeling on a cool evening?
That's your body's core temperature naturally dropping, signalling it's time to hit the hay. Here's where keeping your room cool (around 15–19°C or 60–67°F) comes into play. Too hot or too cold, and your body struggles to hit that sleep sweet spot.
- Deep sleep: this is the all-important reparative stage.
Your body and brain are in renovation mode, repairing muscle, consolidating memories, and rejuvenating for the next day. Cooler body temperatures support this phase, enhancing the quality of deep sleep. So, keeping cool isn't just about comfort, it's about maximising recovery.
- REM sleep: the stage of vivid dreams.
Your brain is almost as active here as when you're awake, and interestingly, your body stops regulating temperature as effectively, instead focusing on those crazy amounts of brain function. Here, if your room's too warm, you might find yourself kicked out of REM prematurely. Not cool. (Pun intended.)
Cool tricks for hot nights
But even if your country’s climate isn’t conducive to perfect sleeping conditions, you don’t have to sacrifice sleep quality.
Here are some cool (literally) tips to keep your body and room at ideal temperatures:
- Wearable tech: Devices like the Ultrahuman Ring Air and CORE sensor give you the inside scoop on how your body temp and sleep stages are vibing through the night. Knowledge is power, and in this case, the power to tweak your environment for better sleep.
- Chill gear: from bed toppers to breathable pyjamas, designed for both men and women, investing in sleepwear and bedding that caters to the unique temperature needs of each gender can be a game-changer. It's like turning your bed into a personal oasis of cool.
- Environment hacks: consider a pre-bedtime sauna session to raise then lower your body temperature, mimicking that natural drop and signalling to your body it's time to sleep. And while AC is the go-to, exploring air purifiers and dehumidifiers can offset some of its downsides, like dry air and allergens.
A personal touch
I love a lot of things about my adopted home of Dubai. But moving from the UK, where the weather can switch between all four seasons in an hour, to somewhere unyieldingly warm and sunny? That knocked my sleep patterns right out, and it took experimenting with everything from ice baths to blackout curtains to find what worked for my sleep in my new environment.
And guess what? The temperature tweaks made a huge difference. I went from tossing and turning to logging solid REM and deep sleep cycles, waking up ready to conquer the world (or at least my to-do list).
Your move
So, what's the takeaway?
A good night's sleep makes for better days, and it shouldn't be a luxury. With a few adjustments and some savvy tech like the options we've looked at here, you don't have to let the heat beat your sleep.
I swear by the Sleepme Chilipad Cube Sleep System. My bedroom looks like their showroom, in fact. Put that together with environmental measures like pre-bedtime saunas, and I’m now sleeping the best sleep of my life.
And you can start even smaller, with adjustments to your room's temperature, or trying out breathable fabrics. Feel the difference to your sleep, and see the payoff the next day, and beyond.
