There’s a lot to love about summer. The late sunsets. The spontaneous drinks that turn into dinners. The weekends that somehow begin on Thursday.
The 2 a.m. tossing and turning? Less appealing.
If you find yourself sleeping worse as temperatures rise, you’re not imagining it. Hot bedrooms, longer daylight hours, travel, late-night cocktails, and a generally less structured routine can all make getting quality sleep more difficult.
And unfortunately, no amount of concealer can completely replace a good night’s rest.
Here’s how to sleep better during the summer—without giving up everything you actually enjoy about the season.
First, Cool Down Your Bedroom
If there’s one thing standing between you and good summer sleep, it might be your bedroom temperature.
Your body naturally cools down as it prepares for sleep, which means an overly warm bedroom can make falling—and staying—asleep more difficult.
Keep curtains and blinds closed during the hottest part of the day, turn on a fan or air conditioning before you get into bed, and swap heavy bedding for lightweight, breathable fabrics.
Cotton and linen sheets are your summer friends.
The weighted blanket can wait until fall.
Take an Everything Shower
Summer requires a different kind of nighttime reset.
Sunscreen. Sweat. Salt water. Chlorine. Humidity. City air.
Wash. It. Off.
A shower before bed isn’t just about getting clean. It creates a transition between the energy of your day and the slower pace of your evening.
Take your time. Double cleanse. Wash your hair if it needs it. Exfoliate. Apply your favorite body cream. Do the skincare routine you’re usually too tired to finish.
Consider it less of a shower and more of a full-body reset.
Make Your Nighttime Routine Feel Expensive
Your routine doesn’t actually have to be expensive.
It just needs to feel intentional.
Turn off the overhead lights. Light a candle. Put on the robe. Apply the body oil. Use the skincare you’ve been “saving for a special occasion.”
Tuesday night is the special occasion.
Creating small rituals around bedtime can help signal that the day is officially winding down. More importantly, it makes going to bed feel like something to look forward to.
Stop Trying to Hydrate at 10 P.M.
You spent all day in the sun, had two iced coffees and a margarita, and suddenly remember water exists approximately seven minutes before bedtime.
We’ve all been there.
The problem with trying to catch up on hydration immediately before sleep is fairly obvious: you may spend the rest of the night getting out of bed.
Instead, hydrate consistently throughout the day, especially when you’re spending time outside, exercising, traveling, or drinking alcohol.
Your skin will thank you, too.
About That Third Martini…
We’re not going to tell you to skip the summer cocktails.
We are going to tell you that alcohol and quality sleep aren’t exactly best friends.
A drink may initially make you feel sleepy, but alcohol can interfere with restful sleep later in the night.
The solution doesn’t have to be complete abstinence. Drink water between cocktails, know when to call it a night, and try to give your body some time between your last drink and your head hitting the pillow.
Balance.
Put the Phone Down
You’re tired.
You get into bed.
You check Instagram for “five minutes.”
Suddenly, you know where someone you went to high school with spent their honeymoon, what Hailey Bieber wore to dinner, and why everyone on the internet is taking magnesium.
It’s 1:17 a.m.
Your phone is very good at keeping your brain entertained. Unfortunately, that’s the opposite of what you need when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Charge it somewhere you can’t easily reach from bed.
Extreme? Maybe.
Effective? Also maybe.
Worth trying? Absolutely.
Block Out the Summer Sun
Long summer days are beautiful until sunlight starts pouring through your bedroom window earlier than you’d like.
A darker sleeping environment can make it easier to protect your sleep from early sunrises, city lights, and whatever your neighbor across the street is doing with those aggressively bright outdoor lights.
Try blackout curtains or a comfortable sleep mask.
The goal: cave, but chic.
Don’t Go Straight From Dinner to Bed
Summer dinners tend to start later, last longer, and involve ordering one more thing for the table.
As they should.
But going directly from a large meal to lying horizontally isn’t always a recipe for comfortable sleep.
When possible, give yourself some time between dinner and bed. Take a walk. Clean up the kitchen. Do your skincare. Read.
Let your body catch up with your social calendar.
Try to Keep Some Kind of Schedule
We’re emphasizing “some kind.”
Summer is not the season for military precision.
But wildly different sleep and wake times every day can make it harder for your body to know when it’s supposed to feel tired.
Try to maintain a relatively consistent schedule during the week and avoid shifting your bedtime by several hours every weekend.
You can still have a life.
Just maybe don’t turn every Thursday into Saturday.
Romanticize Going to Bed
This might be our favorite sleep advice.
Make your bedroom somewhere you genuinely want to be.
Fresh sheets. A clean nightstand. Cold water by the bed. Your favorite pajamas. A calming fragrance. A skincare routine you actually enjoy.
We spend so much time romanticizing morning routines that we forget the night before deserves some attention, too.
Your nighttime routine doesn’t need to be productive.
It doesn’t need to involve seventeen wellness trends.
It just needs to help you feel good enough to put the day down.
The Wylde Grey Takeaway
Better summer sleep is less about finding one magical hack and more about creating the right environment.
Keep your bedroom cool. Hydrate before you’re desperate. Be mindful of late-night cocktails and dinners. Put your phone somewhere slightly inconvenient. Make your skincare routine a ritual instead of a chore.
Most importantly, give yourself permission to slow down.
Summer may be the season of doing more, staying out later, and saying yes to spontaneous plans.
But sometimes the greatest luxury is knowing when to call it a night.
Sleep well.
Your skin will notice.
