Maybe you recognize it: you get to bed on time with your good behavior, but you still toss and turn for hours because you are so hot. Many people suffer from it now that it is so hot. Fortunately, there is sleep expert Jan de Slaapman, who has some tips to get a good night’s sleep.
According to Jan de Slaapman, Jan Denneman in real life, it starts with the preparation. “Close the curtains during the day and don’t leave any windows open,” he says in the radio program KEIgoeiemorgen!
“And open everything early in the morning. It is now only 12 degrees in the morning. If your house is a bit cooler, then it is better to go into the night. Because a night of poor sleep is not nice. People will especially feel a few bad nights. They become grumpy and do not feel fit.”
Why don’t you fall asleep with warmth?
This is mainly due to one big mistake that many people are making now: sitting outside for too long in the evening. Now that it remains light and warm for so long, that is tempting. But don’t do it, Jan warns. “It’s not good for your body and brain. If you want to sleep well, your brain has to be used to darkness.”
Your brain keeps thinking it’s daytime if you sit outside until half past ten at night. “If you get into bed half an hour later, you will not be able to fall asleep. This is because cortisol, your activity hormone, remains very high due to the light. While melatonin, the hormone you need to sleep, is very low.”
What can you do to sleep in the heat?
The advice: seek darkness two hours before you go to sleep. “It is not a popular measure, I know,” Jan acknowledges. “But it’s the only one that really helps. Go inside and watch TV or read a book. And if you really want to sit outside, put on sunglasses that block out blue light.”
Suppose you sleep poorly, would it be wise to get some extra sleep during the weekend? According to Jan, opinions are divided about this. “Sleeping half an hour longer is fine, but if you suddenly stay in bed until twelve o’clock in the afternoon, your entire rhythm shifts. This actually makes it harder for you to fall asleep in the evening.”
Power naps can help you get some extra sleep. But don’t take a nap for too long: a maximum of twenty minutes. “You build up sleep pressure during the day. If you power nap for too long, you reduce that sleep pressure too much. And that is not the intention.”
