Latest news with #SophieBostock
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Top 8 hacks to help you sleep peacefully during hot weather — and why you should never take a cold shower
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AS the UK swelters through one of the hottest starts to summer on record, with highs of 34°C scorching parts of England, many of us are finding it impossible to get a good night's sleep. And while a freezing cold shower might sound like the ultimate relief, sleep experts are warning that it could be doing you more harm than good. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Dr Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep specialist revealed why cold showers and baths "are the worst" way to keep cool in hot weather Credit: TIKTOK/THISMORNING Dr Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep specialist, explained the key to nodding off and staying asleep is by managing your body temperature. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, she said: 'Our core temperature naturally drops in the evening, and that dip is what helps trigger sleep. 'But when the air around us is too warm, the body struggles to release heat, making it much harder to drift off. "And even once we're asleep, it tends to be lighter and less refreshing.' She adds that hot nights not only reduce deep sleep, which restores the body, but also cut into REM sleep — the stage essential for processing emotions and memories. 'That's why you often wake up feeling groggy, grumpy, and like you've barely slept.' 1. The "ideal" sleep temperature The ideal temperature for sleep, she says, is somewhere between 15°C and 20°C — just cooler than a typical room. But staying in that range during a heatwave takes a bit of strategy. Older adults and those going through menopause are especially vulnerable to sleep disruption during hot weather. Five ways to keep babies cool in the heat "As we age, the body becomes less efficient at regulating temperature,' says Dr Bostock. 'And anyone experiencing hot flushes or night sweats is likely to find them worse during extreme heat.' Research also suggests that people with sleep apnoea may experience more severe symptoms in hot conditions. 2. Increase airflow To make your bedroom more bearable, airflow is crucial. The expert added: "The goal is to create a breeze. 'If you can, sleep downstairs — heat rises, so ground floor rooms tend to stay cooler. "Keep curtains or blinds closed during the day to block out sunlight, and open windows in the evening to let cooler air in.' 3. Stay hydrated Staying hydrated is also key: 'We cool ourselves through sweating, so drink regularly throughout the day to support that process." 4. No cold showers But whatever you do, avoid plunging into icy water before bed the Doctor said: 'A cold shower gives your body a shock. "Your blood vessels constrict, trapping heat inside instead of releasing it. 'A lukewarm shower is much better. It encourages blood flow to the skin, and as you step out and evaporate, it helps you cool down naturally.' 5. Swap your bedding Swapping out your bedding can also help; ditch heavy duvets and opt for light sheets made from breathable, natural fibres like cotton or linen. 'Separate covers also help regulate individual temperatures if you share a bed,' she adds. 6. Try a homemade air-con unit For extra relief, try using a fan alongside a bowl of ice water to circulate cooler air around the room. Cooling mattress toppers and gel pillow inserts can also make a noticeable difference. How to keep cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. 'They're designed to absorb heat and prevent it building up around your body.' 7. Chill your forehead A lesser-known trick is cooling the forehead. 'There's early research suggesting that applying coolness to the forehead can reduce brain activity, helping you wind down,' says Dr Bostock. A chilled eye mask or a cold flannel can be surprisingly effective. 8. Descend into darkness And don't forget light. 'To naturally produce melatonin — the hormone that makes us sleepy — you need darkness,' she says. 'Use an eye mask, especially if you're trying to nap during the day.' What about taking naps? Speaking of naps, a short daytime rest can help if you're feeling wiped out — but keep it brief. 'A 20 to 30-minute nap can be refreshing,' she advises. 'Any longer and you risk making it harder to sleep at night.' Above all, try to stay calm if you're struggling to fall asleep. Stressing about it only makes it more difficult. Focus on relaxing your body, keeping cool, and setting the right environment to support your natural sleep cycle.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Top 8 hacks to help you sleep peacefully during hot weather — and why you should never take a cold shower
AS the UK swelters through one of the hottest starts to summer on record, with highs of 34°C scorching parts of England, many of us are finding it impossible to get a good night's sleep. And while a 2 Dr Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep specialist revealed why cold showers and baths "are the worst" way to keep cool in hot weather Credit: TIKTOK/THISMORNING Dr Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep specialist, explained the key to nodding off and staying asleep is by managing your body temperature. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, she said: 'Our core temperature naturally drops in the evening, and that dip is what helps trigger sleep. 'But when the air around us is too warm, the body struggles to release heat, making it much harder to drift off. "And even once we're asleep, it tends to be lighter and less refreshing.' Read more on Fabulous She adds that hot nights not only reduce deep sleep, which restores the body, but also cut into 'That's why you often wake up feeling groggy, grumpy, and like you've barely slept.' 1. The "ideal" sleep temperature The ideal temperature for sleep, she says, is somewhere between 15°C and 20°C — just cooler than a typical room. But staying in that range during a heatwave takes a bit of strategy. Most read in Fabulous Older adults and those going through menopause are especially vulnerable to sleep disruption during hot weather. Five ways to keep babies cool in the heat "As we age, the body becomes less efficient at regulating temperature,' says Dr Bostock. 'And anyone experiencing hot flushes or night sweats is likely to find them worse during extreme heat.' Research also suggests that people with 2. Increase airflow To make your bedroom more bearable, airflow is crucial. The expert added: "The goal is to create a breeze. 'If you can, sleep downstairs — heat rises, so ground floor rooms tend to stay cooler. "Keep curtains or blinds closed during the day to block out sunlight, and open windows in the evening to let cooler air in.' 3. Stay hydrated Staying hydrated is also key: 'We cool ourselves through sweating, so drink regularly throughout the day to support that process." 4. No cold showers But whatever you do, avoid plunging into icy water before bed the Doctor said: 'A cold shower gives your body a shock. "Your blood vessels constrict, trapping heat inside instead of releasing it. 'A lukewarm shower is much better. It encourages blood flow to the skin, and as you step out and evaporate, it helps you cool down naturally.' 5. Swap your bedding Swapping out your bedding can also help; ditch heavy duvets and opt for light sheets made from breathable, natural fibres like cotton or linen. 'Separate covers also help regulate individual temperatures if you share a bed,' she adds. 6. Try a homemade air-con unit For extra relief, try using a fan alongside a bowl of ice water to circulate cooler air around the room. Cooling mattress toppers and gel pillow inserts can also make a noticeable difference. How to keep cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. 'They're designed to absorb heat and prevent it building up around your body.' 7. Chill your forehead A lesser-known trick is cooling the forehead. 'There's early research suggesting that applying coolness to the forehead can reduce brain activity, helping you wind down,' says Dr Bostock. A chilled eye mask or a cold flannel can be surprisingly effective. 8. Descend into darkness And don't forget light. 'To naturally produce melatonin — the hormone that makes us sleepy — you need darkness,' she says. 'Use an eye mask, especially if you're trying to nap during the day.' What about taking naps? Speaking of naps, a short daytime rest can help if you're feeling wiped out — but keep it brief. 'A 20 to 30-minute nap can be refreshing,' she advises. 'Any longer and you risk making it harder to sleep at night.' Above all, try to stay calm if you're struggling to fall asleep. Stressing about it only makes it more difficult. Focus on relaxing your body, keeping cool, and setting the right environment to support your natural sleep cycle. 2 Stock image of a woman struggling to sleep in the heat Credit: GETTY
Scottish Sun
01-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Why you should never take a cold shower in this heat & the exact temperature to set your water to to keep cool
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TAKING a cold shower now that the temperatures are scorching has become a daily ritual for millions of Brits. But according to one expert, as cooling as the water may seem, jumping into cold water during hot weather is not a good idea. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A freezing cold shower has become a ritual for millions of sweaty Brits - but one expert has revealed why it not necessarily may be the best of ideas Credit: Getty 3 The expert chatted to This Morning where she revealed the exact temperature you should set your water to Credit: TikTok / @thismorning 3 According to the doctor, who specialises in sleep, you should focus on ''lots of blood flow going to your extremities'', such as hand and feet Credit: TikTok / @thismorning Dr Sophie Bostock revealed that instead, you should be doing the very opposite - and there's a specific temperature you should be setting your shower to. While many reckon that a freezing cold rinse is tactical before bedtime for the ultimate sleep, Dr Sophie said it's amongst one of the worst things you could do - only topped by taking an ice bath. ''Getting into ice cold water gives your nervous system a bit of a shock,'' she explained. Chatting to This Morning's Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, she went on: ''Your immediate reaction in cold water is for your blood vessels to constrict - because it's trying to protect you.'' So, what should you do instead? According to the doctor, who specialises in sleep, you should focus on ''lots of blood flow going to your extremities'', such as hand and feet. ''Research suggests that a lukewarm bath or shower actually helps with the blood flow to your skin.'' This, she went on, means that when you get out of the shower, your body is going to lose heat more easiliy. Struggling to fall asleep in the hot weather? There are more hacks that many swear by - including a freezer tip that will give you the best night's sleep. Posting on social media, an expert at EarthKind, a luxury and sustainable bedding company, revealed four 'easy steps to stay cool this summer.' I bought two splash pads from Temu and TikTok shop for £9.99 for my kids to compare - one of them is HUGE for the price The first step is all about your hygiene habits and it appears that hot showers are now out of the question. The pro advised: 'Take a shower 20 to 15 minutes before you go to sleep to cool down your body temperature.' Next up, the sleep guru shared how a flannel could be the answer to sleepless summer nights. The pro suggested: 'Take a flannel and run it under some cold water - this can be used to dab your face throughout the night to cool you down or as a cold compress on your head.' How to keep cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. Not only this, but it's also important to ensure sunlight doesn't invade your home where possible. 'Make sure all your blinds are down so the sunlight does not warm up your bedroom,' the expert stressed. Finally, the EarthKind employee shared her 'favourite' piece of advice for hot sleepers. Not only will it change how you make your bed, but it'll work in just 10 minutes too. She beamed: 'Take your pillowcase and put them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes and trust me, you will have the best night sleep with these hacks.'
The Irish Sun
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Why you should never take a cold shower in this heat & the exact temperature to set your water to to keep cool
TAKING a cold shower now that the temperatures are scorching has become a daily ritual for millions of Brits. But according to one expert, as cooling as the water may seem, 3 A freezing cold shower has become a ritual for millions of sweaty Brits - but one expert has revealed why it not necessarily may be the best of ideas Credit: Getty 3 The expert chatted to This Morning where she revealed the exact temperature you should set your water to Credit: TikTok / @thismorning 3 According to the doctor, who specialises in sleep, you should focus on ''lots of blood flow going to your extremities'', such as hand and feet Credit: TikTok / @thismorning Dr Sophie Bostock revealed that instead, you should be doing the very opposite - and there's a specific temperature you should be setting your While many reckon that a freezing cold rinse is tactical before bedtime for the ultimate sleep, Dr Sophie said it's amongst one of the worst things you could do - only topped by taking ''Getting into ice cold water gives your nervous system a bit of a shock,'' she explained. Chatting to This Morning's Ben Shephard and read more on summer So, what should you do instead? According to the doctor, who specialises in sleep, you should focus on ''lots of blood flow going to your extremities'', such as hand and feet. ''Research suggests that a lukewarm bath or shower actually helps with the blood flow to your skin.'' This, she went on, means that when you get out of the shower, your body is going to lose heat more easiliy. Most read in Fabulous Struggling to fall asleep in the hot weather? There are more hacks that many swear by - including Posting on social media, an expert at EarthKind, a luxury and sustainable bedding company, revealed four 'easy steps to stay cool this summer.' I bought two splash pads from Temu and TikTok shop for £9.99 for my kids to compare - one of them is HUGE for the price The first step is all about your The pro advised: 'Take a shower 20 to 15 minutes before you go to sleep to cool down your body temperature.' Next up, the The pro suggested: 'Take a flannel and run it under some cold water - this can be used to dab your face throughout the night to cool you down or as a cold compress on your head.' How to keep cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. Not only this, but it's also important to ensure sunlight doesn't invade your home where possible. 'Make sure all your blinds are down so the sunlight does not warm up your bedroom,' the expert stressed. Finally, the EarthKind employee shared her 'favourite' piece of advice for hot sleepers. Not only will it change how you make your bed, but it'll work in just 10 minutes too. She beamed: 'Take your pillowcase and put them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes and trust me, you will have the best night sleep with these hacks.'
The Independent
13-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
I tried five simple expert-approved tricks for better sleep – and the results were incredible
As a fitness writer, I speak to elite athletes and industry-leading experts on a regular basis. In each chat, I raid their brains for all the accessible ways Independent readers can improve their health, fitness and performance. And without fail, one tip crops up time and time again: improve your sleep. However, it's also the advice I've found people are most resistant to. Many will happily train for an hour, splash their cash on recovery tools and supplements, or even dip their toe in the waters of biohacking for marginal health gains. Yet suggesting they fine-tune their slumber is invariably met with excuses. This is understandable. Most of us are busier than ever and time is a rare commodity; hunkering down and hitting the blanket prescription of eight hours per night isn't an option for the majority of people. But there are easy ways to improve the quality – if not quantity – of your sleep, and feel all the better for it. Supercharging your sleep can boost your heart health, increase your energy levels, improve your exercise performance (and the myriad physical benefits that come with it) and even aid weight management. Plus, as someone who's tried tweaking their routine to improve their sleep, I can subjectively say it's had a more significant impact on how I feel than any other change I've made. Here are the expert-approved tips I used to experience the benefits above, and many more besides. Sleep regularity Sleep regularity is almost on par with sleep duration in its importance for our long-term health, The Sleep Scientist founder Dr Sophie Bostock tells me. This relates to our circadian rhythm – an in-built body clock linked to every cell in the body, which is hard-wired to work to a 24-hour cycle. Disrupting this rhythm with irregular sleep throws our body off-kilter. Dr Bostock says this is why shift workers are more likely to struggle with conditions such as fatigue, depression and heart disease. The National Sleep Foundation reinforces this point. In a 2023 consensus statement published in its Sleep Health journal, it concludes: 'Consistency of sleep onset and offset timing is important for health, safety and performance.' Actionable takeaway Try to establish a regular routine, going to bed and waking up at a similar time each day. Sleep is highly individualised so finding the right routine for you will involve some trial and error. Pick a schedule to start with, such as 10pm until 6am, then if you don't feel well rested after a few nights, Dr Bostock advises giving yourself an extra 15 or 20 minutes in the morning. A good sign these tweaks are working is if you start rising naturally a few minutes before your alarm. Diet and sleep Sleep and diet are surprisingly intertwined; if you make favourable tweaks to one, the other will benefit. 'Sleep is something that can help with weight management,' says Fat Loss Habits author Ben Carpenter. 'Just a single night of sleep deprivation can skew appetite hormones to the point that people will eat more the next day.' A 2023 study published in the Obesity journal found that acute sleep deprivation reduces blood concentrations of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for sending signals to the brain saying you feel full. There is also an increased blood concentration of ghrelin – AKA, the hunger hormone – so poor sleep can hamper your fat loss efforts. But there are things you can do in your diet to improve the quality of your sleep. Two of the most straightforward are avoiding caffeine in the eight hours before bedtime, and leaving at least two hours between your last meal and nodding off. Eating tells your body there are still things to be done, as your food needs to be digested, and we all know caffeine's stimulating impacts. Avoiding these two things before bed will help you access deep sleep more easily when it's time to hit the hay, Dr Bostock says. Actionable takeaway Avoid caffeine in the eight hours before sleep. Finish your last meal at least two hours before sleep. Manage your screen time You've probably guessed this already, but phones are far from helpful when you're trying to get a good night's sleep. Speaking ahead of an appearance at EE Learn Live, Joe Wicks tells me that banning his phone from the bedroom and investing in a Lumie alarm clock (which wakes you up with a gradual sunrise-esque light, rather than a sharp tone) is 'the most transformative thing' he's done to improve his snoozes. And as a father of four, he needs to make the most of his time between the sheets. 'Sleep is the first thing to prioritise if you want to improve your health,' Wicks says. 'When you're sleeping well, the food and exercise side of things becomes a little bit easier. If you remove the phone from your bedroom, you're way less likely to doom scroll, to wake up in the night and check your phone or to lay in bed for an extra hour in the morning.' Blue light – alertness-boosting light emitted from smartphones and TVs, among other things – has long been held responsible for disrupting our circadian rhythm and, consequently, sleep. But a 2024 theoretical review published in Sleep Medicine Reviews suggested there are other, arguably more important, factors at play. For example, screen time delaying when we head to bed, or technology in the bedroom disrupting our sleep. 'For some individuals and families, removing technology from bedrooms overnight could be a helpful way to prevent any possible impacts of technology use on sleep,' the report states. 'However, restricting devices may not suit everyone, or for some families this could be difficult to implement.' To mitigate the negative impacts of technology on your sleep quantity and quality, it instead recommends managing your evening screen time using the tricks below. Actionable takeaways Light The body works to a 24-hour circadian rhythm. This is informed by zeitgebers or 'time-givers' – signalling systems that tell the body what time it is and how to behave. And the strongest of the lot is light. When bright light hits the receptors on the back of the eye, your body takes this as a sign that it's time to be awake and alert, Dr Bostock tells me. For this reason, 2023 BMX freestyle world champion and Olympic silver medallist Kieran Reilly likes to keep his home dimly-lit ;later in the day. 'My girlfriend hates it because I try to have minimal light in the house as soon as it gets to the evening,' he laughs. 'I would rather walk around with my phone torch out than switch a light on. I'm trying my best to get into that sleep mode and get tired.' Dr Bostock recommends lighting a candle with dinner to kickstart proceedings, then keeping the lights in your home low from this point on. This can also help you establish a regular pre-bed routine, which is another way of readying your body for rest. Inversely, Dr Bostock also prescribes plenty of natural light in the morning to wake the body up, then working by a window if possible during the day to keep yourself feeling energised. Actionable takeaways Keep lights low in the evening. Expose yourself to plenty of natural light after waking. Try to work in a well-lit spot, such as near a window. Similarly to being told to 'sleep more', finding ways to destress is easier said than done. With emails on our phones and more information passing between our ears than ever before, stress is everywhere. But taking steps to reduce it before bed can lead to a deeper sleep. Journalling, mindfulness, meditation and practising gratitude are all possible options, Dr Bostock says. Even writing a to-do list to establish control and rid yourself of nagging thoughts can be an effective intervention. Actionable takeaways
