The first week of summer has arrived and along with the sand and sun, it’s also brought quite the heat wave. While basking in the sun’s rays feel glorious during a dip in the pool, the sweaty heat of the day doesn’t always translate well into your bed at night. In the upcoming months, many of you will be asking: What’s the best way to beat the heat and get a good night’s sleep?While air conditioning can help, it’s still hard to find the relief you need during those scorchers. I’ve looked into some solutions for those nights where you just can’t seem to get comfortable.A simple and natural way to lower your body temperature before bed is drinking a glass of ice water. It may sound simple, but it really does help. Bringing a glass of water to bed with you to drink throughout the night won’t hurt either.Perhaps the easiest and most affordable solution to a toasty bed is to change your comforter set. Think about the materials that make up your thick comforter.
Most likely, it’s filled with down feathers or perhaps even wool. Switching to a quilt in the summer and getting rid of the blankets will keep the night sweats at bay. Having a heavier winter comforter and a light summer quilt will also allow you to keep both of them fresh and new each year, while enjoying a solid night’s sleep, no matter the season. Bed Bath & Beyond has a great selection of quilts and coverlets.Another great way to keep cool at night is by keeping your mattress cool. There are some great latex mattresses out there that can be paired with a cooling mattress pad to do the job. You can also check stores like Homegoods, if you hit it right, you can often find high quality mattress pads at great prices.If you’re still in need of relief, and love the cool side of the pillow, check out the Chillow.This revolutionary non-toxic, non-gel pillow helps tired campers fall asleep 68% faster than with regular pillows and also helps to increase the amount of REM sleep you’re getting a night.
Just slip the Chillow inside your pillow case and you’ll be on your way to a cooler night’s sleep.Beating the heat for your perfect summer sleep shouldn’t be a struggle, and as a last resort, you can always use the pool!If you found this article useful and shareable, please copy and paste the following into the html code of your website or blog:There are many milestones in parenting, setting up a baby's crib, then moving that baby to a big bed and so on. Fast-forward 18 years and it’s setting up your child’s college dorm room. TODAY contributor Elizabeth Mayhew has these tips for getting your child’s room in gear: Those of us who have been off to college remember the professors we had, classes we attended (or didn’t) and the friends we made, but very few of us remember those few weeks before leaving home (some of us for the first time) and the harried preparations that took place. Lugging clothes, computers, sheets, towels, mini-fridges and an endless supply of ramen noodle soups into an often charmless, cinderblock dorm room to live with an unknown fellow student has always been daunting.
But now, with more than 10 million kids living in college dorms, marketing and supplying students with all they need is big business. All you have to do these days is enter a mass retailer — Wal-Mart, Target, Staples or Bed Bath & Beyond — to see that back-to-school/college dorm shopping is maybe only second to the holiday season for massive retail sales. The good news it that so much is available — more than ever — at affordable prices; just make sure that before you spend next year’s tuition bill on this year’s supplies, you are armed with some key bits of information. 1. Before you shop for your dorm room, check with your school to see if they can provide you with details of your room — its size, configuration, etc. Some colleges even allow you to take virtual tours of your room before you arrive at www.dormtours.net. Your school will tell you what is provided and what is prohibited (most schools do not allow anything that gets hot, like hot plates or space heaters — even candles).
It is also wise to contact your roommate to find out what he or she is bringing so that you don’t end up with two microwaves or two mini-fridges. You can also check out the MicroFridge. 2. Chances are you won’t be able to take your favorite bed sheets. Most schools have extra-long beds and sheets that require extra-long bedding. I recommend buying a good quality mattress pad and bed topper to make those much-needed Z’s all the better. Also forgo flat sheets — make it easy on yourself by having only a fitted sheet and a comforter with a duvet cover; it will be easier to “make the bed” and one less thing to wash. Also invest in some extra pillows — when friends drop by, your bed will have to double as a sofa. Savvy students also know to get blocks or bed risers to raise their beds up to provide much-needed storage. 3. Don’t go crazy with the clothes; if you don’t love it, then don’t bring it. Also remember you will probably head home for Thanksgiving, which is only a few months away.
You can do your wardrobe switch then. The two things you want to bring a lot of are underwear and socks — just in case you don’t do your laundry as frequently as you should. Speaking of laundry … plan on having a stash of quarters for the times you are forced to finally do a load or two. And rather than schlepping a hefty container of detergent to and from the laundry room, buy Dropps instead; they are dissolvable premeasured packets of detergent so there is no measuring, no heavy lifting. 4. Dorm rooms are usually outfitted with the basics: a bed, dresser, desk and chair, but you will want to bring some extra items to help you minimize clutter. Make use of back-of-door, under-bed and closet storage. Hanging shoe bags can hold everything from socks to a flashlight or snacks for the late-night munchies. Boxes and magazine holders can help keep class papers sorted. Stacked cubes or boxes next to your bed can store items and double as a bedside table. And because you want to look your best — even if you have been wearing the same unwashed jeans for two weeks — you might want to invest in a full-length mirror.
5. As for study time, I suggest bringing a task lamp for you desk — dorm rooms usually have overhead lighting only. I would also consider swapping your dorm-provided wooden desk chair circa 1950 for an up-to-date ergonomic model. The one thing you are sure to have a lot of is books. Umbra’s clever, space-saving bookshelves and magazine rack attach easily to the wall; just make sure when you take them down at the end of the year that you fill in the holes with spackling (or toothpaste). You might want to include one book that opens to reveal a secret compartment for valuables. 6. This will probably be the first time you will have to share a bathroom with 100 other people and chances are you will have to walk more than 100 feet to get to it. A shower caddy is a must-have for dorm life. I would make sure you have a pair of flip-flops for shower time as well. 7. A note to parents: Even if you don’t have a student going off to college this month, you should encourage your kids to take responsibility for their laundry, rooms and study time;