The manager of the “Marius Nasta” Pneumophthisiology Institute in the Capital, Dr. Beatrice Mahler, offers several tips to have a good sleep during the heat wave.When it is very hot, sleep with dreams is affected, the one that helps us reset the body for a new day“, claims the doctor.
“What do we do for a good night’s sleep during the heat Code Red? We try to maintain as rigorous a sleep hygiene as possible; we avoid midday naps, which can accentuate insomnia; we dress appropriately with loose clothes that allow the absorption of perspiration; we try to create an optimal temperature in the bedroom, not forgetting that the air humidity also needs to be adjusted – if you don’t have a fan, try filling a bottle with ice-cold liquid, which will lower the temperature in the bed you sleep in, or alternatively you can use cooling socks (wet or kept cold), cooling the feet lowers the general temperature of the skin and body; hydrate well, even at night; try to remain calm, the state of irritation and nervousness overloads the body which is affected by the increased temperature anyway; don’t forget the children and the elderly around you, who are much more fragile”writes Dr. Beatrice Mahler, on the Facebook page of the “Marius Nasta” Pneumophthisiology Institute.
According to the doctor, normally our body temperature tends to drop slightly 1-2 hours before bed, and this helps us fall asleep more easily and have a deeper sleep.
“Essentially when it’s very hot REM sleep is affected, the sleep with dreams, the one that helps us reset the body for a new day, the one that helps strengthen the immune system and process memories and emotions. The high temperature in the environment significantly complicates the self-regulation of the body temperature, directly affects the quality of sleep, increases the respiratory rate, the heart rate and the humidity of the integuments, in the desire to achieve body cooling, and last but not least induce a state of irritability in the body. Thus, even if we fall asleep just as easily, because the high temperature during the day exhausts the body energetically, sleep is frequently interrupted and lasts less. Repeated awakenings are due to either excessive sweating or dry air in the room”explains Dr. Mahler.
The negative effects of sleeping at high temperatures translate for healthy people into a feeling of fatigue throughout the day, irritation at seemingly trivial external factors, and exhaustion.
“Patients with chronic diseases, including chronic respiratory diseases, associate ineffective sleep with the risk of aggravation of chronic diseases through acute infections, through the direct effect of polluted particles in the breathed air, such as ozone, the amount of which increases in cities with heavy traffic, especially during periods of heat”, concludes Beatrice Mahler.
