'I'm a sleep expert, this is how to stay cool in bed during a heatwave''

'I'm a sleep expert, this is how to stay cool in bed during a heatwave'' As summers warm up, cooling sleep tech and simple hacks like breathable bedding and light duvets are replacing high togs to help you stay comfortable all night. With hotter summers becoming the new normal, we're starting to think about our bedrooms differently. "For decades we've focused on keeping warm in winter. Now we're having to think about keeping cool instead," says Simba sleep expert UK Lisa Artis. "Breathable bedding, lighter duvets and mattresses designed to regulate temperature are becoming just as important as high tog ratings once were. "There's no single miracle solution to sleeping through a heatwave. But combining a few simple cooling hacks with sleep technology that's designed to disperse heat will give you the best chance of staying comfortable until morning." Lisa shares her three cooling sleep hacks actually worth trying... Skip the freezing shower "It sounds like the obvious answer, but an ice-cold shower isn't actually the best way to cool down before bed," says Lisa. "It can trigger your body to conserve heat, meaning you may end up feeling warmer afterwards. A lukewarm shower is much more effective because it allows your body temperature to fall naturally as you cool after stepping out." Yes... fridge socks really can work "It sounds bizarre, but cooling your feet can genuinely help," says Lisa. "Your feet are packed with blood vessels close to the skin's surface, making them one of the quickest places for your body to release heat. Pop a clean pair of socks into the fridge for around 30 minutes before bed. The cooling effect is gentle but often enough to help your body switch into sleep mode." Chill the pillowcase, not the pillow "Your head and neck are major heat-loss zones, so cooling them can make falling asleep much easier," says Lisa. "Rather than freezing the entire pillow, place just the pillowcase in a sealed bag in the fridge for around 20 minutes. You'll get that instant cooling sensation without ending up with a damp pillow later in the night." Choose clever bedding While these tricks may help you fall asleep, Lisa says they won't keep you cool if your mattress and bedding are trapping heat for the next eight hours. "Cooling hacks only last for a few minutes. Your mattress, duvet and bedding affect your body temperature all night long. If they're holding onto heat, there's only so much frozen socks can do." Instead, she recommends treating your summer sleep set-up like cooling technology rather than simply bedding. "Choose lightweight, breathable fabrics that allow air to circulate and moisture to escape. And if you're investing in a mattress, look for one that's specifically engineered to promote airflow rather than trap heat. “Simba's Hybrid® mattresses combine patented Aerocoil® springs with Simbatex®, an open-structured, graphite-infused foam engineered with thousands of tiny perforations. The result is more than five times the airflow of standard memory foam*, allowing excess body heat to escape while fresh air circulates through the mattress throughout the night." With hotter summers becoming the new normal, Lisa believes we're starting to think about our bedrooms differently. "For decades we've focused on keeping warm in winter. "Now we're having to think about keeping cool instead. Breathable bedding, lighter duvets and mattresses designed to regulate temperature are becoming just as important as high tog ratings once were. There's no single miracle solution to sleeping through a heatwave. But combining a few simple cooling hacks with sleep technology that's designed to disperse heat will give you the best chance of staying comfortable until morning."