Five Summer Sleep Disruptors and how to Beat Them

What are the five Summer sleep disruptors?

Summer is the season of weddings, holidays, festivals and BBQs. A seemingly perfect time for socialising into the small hours, but continuous late nights have an impact on your sleep routine. As it gets dark much later in the Summer months, we tend to feel like we have more time in the evenings. This inevitably leads to going to bed later, despite the need for the same amount of sleep. Experts recommend seven to nine hours a night of shut-eye, no matter what the season. 

In the Winter, it’s much easier to snuggle down and hibernate, but with the higher temperatures and longer hours of daylight, it can be difficult to settle down and let sleep envelop you. Added to that are the side effects of issues like hayfever and jet lag, contributing to your sleep becoming out of sync. The five most common Summer sleep disruptors are:

• Temperature
• Longer daylight hours
• Allergens
• Socialising
• Travel 
  

We’ll delve into how these can interrupt your circadian rhythm (your natural sleep cycle) and provide advice on how to beat them so you sleep well despite the heat…

Temperature

Warm sunshine is great for your wellbeing, improving your mood by increasing serotonin and boosting vitamin D production. However, when it comes to nighttime, high temperatures make it harder for your body to cool down and prepare for sleep. The onset of sleep is related to a decrease in our core body temperature, so it makes sense that on nights when we can’t cool down, it’s more difficult to drift off.

When choosing bedding for the Summer, look for materials which will help circulate airflow and cool your body down. The same applies to what you wear to bed, ensuring it is also lightweight and breathable. Bamboo is a wonder fabric in this sense, harnessing all of these properties. Our Bamboo & French Linen Bedding Set combines refined flax fibres from France with our signature organic bamboo. The result is a textured but super soft weave which is thermoregulating and moisture-wicking – keeping you at the optimum temperature, and ensuring you stay cool and dry when you’re feeling hot.

Longer Daylight Hours

Your mind associates bright light and sunshine with awake time and darkness with sleep time. Extended daylight suppresses the sleep hormone, melatonin, which means it’s not as easy to fall asleep at your usual bedtime, while natural light pouring into your room in the early hours of the morning causes you to wake up earlier than normal. Keep your blinds or curtains closed throughout the evening, and cut down on screen time to avoid the added issue of blue light exposure.

If your bedroom isn’t dark enough, you may need to invest in blackout blinds or use a sleep mask. Our dreamy Bamboo Eye Mask blocks out ambient light so you can produce melatonin and feel sleepy. Luxuriously soft against the skin, it doesn’t apply any pressure, and as it’s hypoallergenic, it’s suitable for even the most sensitive skin.

Insects and Allergens

The Summer sleep disruptor that could bug you the most is insects and other allergens. If you sleep with your windows open, you’re more likely to invite in unwelcome guests such as mosquitoes or flies. Itchy bites can keep you awake, especially if you have an allergic reaction. As a deterrent, keep your living space clean and tidy, and fill your diffuser with natural fragrances such as lavender, citronella or eucalyptus, which they tend to have an aversion to. 

High pollen counts and hay fever are another side effect of Summer – and they also don’t make for the best bedfellows. A blocked nose will force you to breathe through your mouth, increasing the likelihood of both snoring and sleep apnea. The symptoms of hay fever can make for uncomfortable sleep conditions. Bamboo bedding and sleep accessories can help to provide an allergy-friendly, breathable sleep environment. 

Summer socialising

With Summer in full swing, it seems there are a lot more social events on the horizon. When the sun is shining, it’s natural to want to be outside, making the most of the favourable weather before it inevitably disappears again. Summer socialising brings with it other factors which stop you from drifting off with ease…

Alcohol

If you drink alcohol at events, this can take its toll on the quality of your sleep, reducing the amount of REM episodes in the night. It also raises your body temperature, which we know can disrupt bedtime and also lower the quality of the sleep you do get. Consider limiting your alcohol intake or swapping your usual tipple for a non-alcoholic beverage instead.

Overstimulating environments 

If you’re at a party, BBQ or celebration, the overstimulating environment (different sounds, smells, conversations, etc) increases the production of adrenaline, so it delays the need for your body to rest. Staying up late and then sleeping in the next day plays havoc with your internal body clock, confusing your awake and sleep cycle. Try not to stay out too late so you allow half an hour to an hour of unwinding at home before you go to bed. Avoid a long lie-in even if it’s tempting at the weekend. This can make it harder to fall asleep in the evening. 

Stress

If you’re the one hosting over the Summer, this can lead to added stress – having to go over budget buying snacks and drinks, needing to keep on top of the housework, having more people than usual in your space and so on. Stress is well known to have an impact on sleep, keeping us tossing and turning at night instead of drifting off. If you are hosting, delegate where you can and remember to enjoy yourself instead of getting hung up on the little things, like whether your garden fairy lights work or not…

We asked Dr Ritz, one of our panel of sleep experts, about the myth of “it doesn’t matter what I do before bed; I can still sleep.” She said: ‘a lot of people underestimate how much our evening habits affect the quality of our sleep. The way we wind down before bed (or fail to) plays a huge role. Too much screen time, caffeine, or not having a bedtime routine can disrupt the body’s natural rhythm and make it harder to get restful sleep.’ 

Whilst Summer socialising disrupts sleep patterns, it can also improve it in the following ways:

• Interacting with others can boost your mood and lower stress levels. 
  
• Exercise – if your socialising takes the form of exercise, this also makes you more tired and induces repose.
  
• Early daylight exposure has a positive impact on sleep-wake cycles.
  

Travel and time zones

There’s an English proverb from the nineteenth century which states that a change is as good as a rest. Still true today, a change of scenery helps you relax away from work and home stress. If it’s a hot climate holiday, you’ll be exposed to higher levels of natural light, which is also very good for your wellbeing. However, the travel involved to get to your far-flung destination impacts your sleep in various ways:

• Jet lag – crossing time zones (in both directions) throws off your internal body clock, as you’re sleeping at times your body simply isn’t used to. 
  
• Unfamiliar bed – it can be hard to get comfortable in a different bed to your own, especially if you haven’t taken your bamboo pillow with you...
  
• An irregular sleep schedule – getting up later in the morning and going to bed later can be detrimental to slumber, resulting in sleep debt. Sleep debt is an accumulation of sleep you miss out on. If you miss two hours in one night, then another two the following night, this builds up, throwing your routine out of balance. 
  

To prevent sleep debt, you should try these tips:

• Have a regular bedtime and wake-up time
  
• After jet lag, you should expose yourself to daylight for a reset
  
• Avoid too much alcohol so that your sleep is not affected
  
• Keep hydrated, as flights can cause dehydration
  
• Prepare for travel to far-off climes by shifting your bedtime prior to the trip 
  

Beating common Summer sleep disruptors

Sleep isn’t just for Winter. By sticking to a sleep routine, as well as limiting late nights and alcohol, you can enjoy a long, hot Summer without fatigue getting in the way. Bamboo fabric can also help you feel more comfortable in the warmer months due to its breathability and natural thermoregulation. Our award-winning duvet now comes in a super light and airy Summer option: the Cloud Bamboo Summer Duvet 4.5 tog. Wicking away moisture, it’s odour-resistant and naturally antibacterial. Bamboo is like a breath of fresh air for your Summer sleep setup.