Summer is just around the corner and whilst the days will be glorious (hopefully), the heat and humidity at night may not be so pleasant.

Sunshine is vital for our health. The main benefit of sunlight is in producing Vitamin D which helps us metabolise calcium that is needed to build healthy bones. It also helps prevent SAD. However, these positive effects can quickly become undone when we can’t sleep because of the heat and humidity.

Most scientists agree that, in general, a cool room helps you to get to sleep easier. Some suggest that, if you are sleeping in temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees C) you will wake up.

Equally, a room that is too cold affects sleep. Your body temperature naturally falls during the 2nd stage of sleep, reaching its lowest point about four hours after the onset of sleep. If the room gets too cold (below 54 degrees Fahrenheit/12 degrees C) you may wake up.

Here are my 10 tips to stay perfectly cool and sleep well:

1. Keep windows and shades completely closed during the day. Most people think that opening them will help circulate air - but actually it has the opposite effect. Keep them closed to help reduce the temperature in the room. Open them at night when the air temperature reduces.

2. Move the air around. If you can afford to, then invest in an air conditioning unit (which can also act as a dehumidifier). If not. get a fan to create a cross-draft. If it’s unbearably hot then add a cold wet sheet between you and the fan or even a bucket of ice in front of the fan to further reduce the temperature.

3. Go to bed cool. If you are feeling less sweaty you are likely to get to sleep easier and stay asleep longer. Have a cool shower before bed. If you are still too hot, try an ice pack (wrapped in a damp towel) on the back of your knees or neck which is a quick way of cooling your body. Equally stick your feet in a bucket of cold water before bed or put on a pair of damp socks. Or try putting on a damp a thin sheet to cover you, as they do in the Middle East.

4. Keep bedding light. Get rid of the duvet and choose the lightest sheets possible (cotton and then silk). You want cover that is non absorbent so they don’t absorb your sweat. If you are sharing a bed then use separate sheets to avoid the extra potential of disturbing each other as you are more likely to toss and turn. If you go for no sheets at all, keep one at the end of the bed that you can pull on if you wake and are too cold. You may need to swap your foam rubber pillow during the summer as it absorbs heat and can get very hot.

5. Get cold feet! Uncover your feet if you are using a sheet, as this will also cool you down

6. Pyjama ban. An obvious one, but rethink what you wear to bed.

7. Hydrate. Drink enough water in the day. If you are dehydrated, you are more likely to get a headache/body ache prior to bed. Coffee/tea don’t count as they are diuretics and you need an equal amount of extra water to flush the caffeine they contain through the kidney. Of course, if you drink tea/coffee too late the caffeine will also keep you awake at night.

8. Limit the noise. Open windows mean that outside noise may be a problem. Ear plugs are an obvious solution. Or try putting on some low volume relaxing (unfamiliar if possible) music with no lyrics. Given that fans produce white noise this may be a bonus to block outside noise.

9. Control the light. Use dark, heavy blinds to filter out the light if you are going to sleep before dusk. Also try a sleep/eye mask to make sure your regular sleep routine isn’t broken. Avoid the temptation to stay awake longer in the lighter nights, as routine tends to be the best way (in the modern world of the electric light bulb) of ensuring that you get to sleep easily. Also block off all sources of LED light sources. Switch off or turn them over. Don’t switch on the full light to go to the toilet etc it wakes you up.

Allergy management. Pollen can be a massive problem in the spring / summer keeping us awake. Combat using an air purifier and close the windows as soon as possible in the morning to stop the pollen coming in. Shower before bed, including washing your hair, to remove pollen. Anecdotal suggestions are that local honey can help with allergic responses too.

Bedmaker Warren Evans is opening a new showroom in Ealing on June 14.