How to Sleep Comfortably on a Hot Night

When it was 40C+ here in Seattle a couple of weeks ago, I simply went outside and slept there in a nice cool 30C+ weather.<p>If you have computers and electricity, by 10-11pm it will be significantly cooler outside so if you have a deck or roof or backyard, try sleeping there.

Air conditioning is a wonderful thing. And, often, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the things described here.

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I think most of these suggestions just give you something to do while you make yourself sleepy.

Many of these ideas are variations of an evaporative or swamp cooler. They work great west of the Rockies because of the lower humidity. They don't work very well at all east of the Rockies. Try a fan with some ice in August in Miami. You won't be hot. You'll be hot and wet. Better to just turn on your ac.

Get a waterbed. Sleep on it with only a sheet between your body and the cold waterbed bladder. Keep the waterbed covered with a blanket during the day.

<i>"... How to Sleep Comfortably on a Hot Night ..."</i><p>hotest it got here in Melb last year was 46C and multiple days above 43C with extreme fire weather ~ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157614397725714/" rel="nofollow">http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157614397725714...</a> Couple of measures you take:<p>- open windows<p>- multiple 4Ltr freezer blocks work well<p>- stay at the pool till late<p>- sleep on concrete or tiles<p>- use fans<p>- wet towels &#38; buckets of water for feet are pretty good<p>That and eat lots of icy poles (don't laugh) and drink water.

Think of the winter that will be here very soon, and the time when you'll have to turn on the heater constantly. A few days of sun (especially in a city like Seattle where sighting the sun is a rare occurrence), is not that hard to deal with. Open out the windows, switch on the fan if you have one, take a cold shower and you'll fall asleep.

When I lived in Melbourne and the house was over 30C, I would take a soaking wet towel and use it as a blanket on my bare skin.<p>It sounds bad and the first minute is a bit creepy (until it warms up to your body temperature) but I would fall into a deep sleep in 10 minutes. It worked for me.

Any YC founders who spent the summer in Boston know that this information is very valuable. Bookmark this one in case YC moves back out there and you have to borrow an air conditioner from Jessica.

No clothes + fan. No matter how hot, you'll start needing a sheet to keep the surface of your skin warm. It works for me in an AC-less shack on the equator!

If only Starbucks were open all night...