Here's five surprise sleep hacks to help you get your head down in a heatwave

The Sleep Charity is a national, award-winning charity empowering the nation to sleep better - try out their five tips tonight

As the UK experiences its hottest days of the year, The Sleep Charity has published its top five hacks for getting a good night’s sleep during a heatwave.

Temperatures have reached over 28C in Oldham, with the Met Office also issuing its first ever extreme heat warning for parts of Wales, the Midlands, southwest England and the Isle of Wight.

To help Oldhamers get a good night’s sleep despite the rising temperatures, The Sleep Charity has published five rather unorthodox recommendations:

1. If you’ve got an attic, try opening the hatch during the day. The hot air will rise and this will give it somewhere to go.

2. Put a tray or bowl of ice (or even an old bottle filled with frozen water) in front of a fan to cool the air down even more.

3. Pull out your hot water bottle but fill it with ice cold water and have it in bed with you.

4. Cooling your feet lowers the overall body temperature so keep your feet as cool as possible, try putting socks in the fridge then putting them on before bed.

5. Drink plenty of cold water during the evening and keep a glass by the bed. Your body will feel much cooler if you are hydrated.

The Sleep Charity deputy CEO, Lisa Artis, said: “Sleeping in hot weather can be tough, especially when experiencing temperatures in the low thirties like we are currently experiencing here in the UK.

“Your body temperature needs to drop slightly before you go to sleep which is why many may struggle to drift off when the temperatures are high.

"Try to keep yourself and your bedroom as cool as you can, and it is really important to stay hydrated.

“Try not to stress too much about not sleeping in the heat.

"These soaring temperatures do tend to pass as quickly as they come, and a couple of poor night’s sleep won’t do you too much harm – you’re just likely to yawn more and feel a bit grumpier!”

Incorporating The Sleep Council, The Sleep Charity is a national, award-winning charity empowering the nation to sleep better.

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