How Can I Sleep In This Heatwave? Refrigerating Your Socks Can Help

The UK is set for scorching temperatures this week, with a red weather warning issued on Wednesday and Thursday in parts of England and Wales due to extreme heat.

We’ll also face “tropical nights”, the Met Office said.

These are nights when the temperature never dips below 20°C, and they can ruin our sleep.

But one solution – refrigerating or even freezing your socks before bed – might help.

Per the BBC, “If you want to quickly cool down, one trick is to fill a hot water bottle with ice cold liquid, or put your socks in the fridge before you wear them”.

And the Red Cross added that we should “put a pair of socks in the fridge during the day and slip them on your feet before getting into bed” during very hot weather.

That’s because, they say, cooling down your feet brings your overall body temperature down.

Previous research has shown that putting your feet in cold water is a good way to reduce your core temperature.

Casper Sleep goes even further, suggesting you freeze your socks a couple of hours before bedtime.

“An hour or two before bed, place your socks in a large plastic bag in the freezer,” they wrote.

Taking a cold shower before bed might seem like a good idea, but you’re better off taking a warm one before you nod off in a heatwave.

Try lying on your side, and consider wearing light pyjamas from a natural fibre like linen as this is probably more cooling than sleeping naked.

It may be worth adjusting your bedtime by pushing it about half an hour forward as this can bring your body clock better in line with the cooler parts of the night.