Be a clammy dodger at bedtime

IF you've been finding it difficult to nod off over the past few nights, tossing and turning in your bed, you're not alone.

- BY CAMILLA FOSTER

While many of us relish the beautiful sunny days, the humid evenings are a different kettle of fish... and not nearly as enjoyable.

To gain a better understanding of why these muggy nights can significantly disrupt our sleep, we had a chat with Dr Greg Elder, associate director of Northumbria Sleep Research at Northumbria University, UK.

He has provided some insight into how humidity can affect our sleep quality and patterns, and has also offered some handy tips to help you achieve a better night's kip.

How does humidity impact the quality of sleep?

“We don't know much about how humidity on its own can affect our sleep, but we do know that humidity influences how we perceive temperature,” Dr Elder explains.

“As humidity levels rise, the air temperature will feel warmer.

“Sleep and temperature regulation are very closely linked - so the hotter it feels, the worse our sleep tends to be, and this is exacerbated when we can't properly acclimatise to it. For instance, during a heatwave.”

Can humidity directly affect our circadian rhythms?

“Yes. The amount of sleep we get, and its quality, is influenced by the interaction between our need for sleep and our body clock (our circadian rhythms),” Dr Elder states.