Maintaining Healthy Sleep And Energetic Days

For adults and children alike, the summer holidays are a time for relaxation, fun, and a break from the usual routine. However, this change in our schedules, combined with hot weather and longer daylight hours can end up disrupting our natural sleep patterns leaving us feeling more tired than ever. In fact, Google data shows searches for the term ‘sleeping patterns’ peaks as soon as the school holidays begin!

Alison Jones, sleep expert from leading mattress brand Sealy UK, provides her expert advice to help you get the basics right when it comes to your summer sleep and make the most of your break, ensuring you’re bursting with energy each day.

1. Try to keep to a consistent sleep schedule

One of the key factors in maintaining a healthy sleep pattern is consistency. While the odd late night or lie-in is fine, it’s important to try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s internal clock and promotes better sleep quality overall. As hard as this is to do throughout the summer holidays, with longer evenings and more plans, it is crucial to keeping your pattern structured.

2. Keep your sleeping space cool throughout the summer

Maintaining a cool and well-ventilated room promotes a restful atmosphere. Your body’s core temperature naturally drops during sleep as part of the sleep-wake cycle. A cooler bedroom can facilitate this natural temperature drop, making it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.

Keeping your curtains or blinds closed during the day to block out sunlight and heat can help keep your room cool, especially if your bedroom is south-facing. And in extreme situations – such as a holiday apartment without air conditioning – consider putting your feet in a bowl of cold water before drifting off. Believe it or not, this helps cool the body down more quickly, thanks to our ankles having a large number of blood vessels close to the skin.  

3. Consider your mattress

You may not realise it, but your mattress can also affect how cool you feel when it comes to bedtime.

For example, an alternative and straight forward way to combat rising temperatures is Sealy’s Elevate Ultra mattress which helps you achieve a cooling night’s sleep. This is thanks to SmarTex™, which is designed to wick away moisture to regulate your sleep climate.

Another great way to regulate temperature during sleep is to look for mattresses with Geltex; a unique cooling material for the ultimate sleeping comfort, found in the Sealy Posturepedic range. This range of mattresses also features a BasePlank which is not only engineered to allow cooling air to move throughout the body of the mattress, but also to work with the AlignSupport Coil to provide true support during your sleep.

4. Stay on top of jet lag

If you are lucky enough to be travelling abroad and to a different time zone this summer, keeping on top of your sleeping schedule may be even more difficult than usual. Jet lag can be challenging to deal with, especially for children, but there are several strategies you can employ to help combat its effects. While there’s no magic solution, trying to get into the wake/sleep schedule of the country you are in, as soon as possible will help. It takes about three days to establish a new routine, so stick with it! Similarly, ensuring you maximise your exposure to daylight during waking hours, keeping active and staying hydrated will all help minimise its effects too.

5. Avoid naps in the daytime 

This might seem obvious, but day napping can be detrimental to your sleep quality when it comes to bedtime. While a 20-minute power nap can be refreshing during the day, too much daytime sleep can interfere with your ability to drift off at night. Many fall into the trap of napping in the summer holidays if they don’t have any plans, so try to keep busy.

Maintaining a consistent sleep pattern during summer holidays may not sound as much fun as late nights and long lie-ins, but it is crucial for your overall well-being and to ensure a restful and rejuvenating summer. Remember, a good night’s sleep is the foundation for a productive and enjoyable day ahead!