Why you should never take a cold shower in this heat & the exact temperature to set your water to to keep cool
But according to one expert, as cooling as the water may seem, jumping into cold water during hot weather is not a good idea.
3
3
Dr Sophie Bostock revealed that instead, you should be doing the very opposite - and there's a specific temperature you should be setting your shower to.
While many reckon that a freezing cold rinse is tactical before bedtime for the ultimate sleep, Dr Sophie said it's amongst one of the worst things you could do - only topped by taking an ice bath.
''Getting into ice cold water gives your nervous system a bit of a shock,'' she explained.
Chatting to This Morning's Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, she went on: ''Your immediate reaction in cold water is for your blood vessels to constrict - because it's trying to protect you.''
So, what should you do instead?
According to the doctor, who specialises in sleep, you should focus on ''lots of blood flow going to your extremities'', such as hand and feet.
''Research suggests that a lukewarm bath or shower actually helps with the blood flow to your skin.''
This, she went on, means that when you get out of the shower, your body is going to lose heat more easiliy.
Struggling to fall asleep in the hot weather? There are more hacks that many swear by - including a freezer tip that will give you the best night's sleep.
Posting on social media, an expert at EarthKind, a luxury and sustainable bedding company, revealed four 'easy steps to stay cool this summer.'
I bought two splash pads from Temu and TikTok shop for £9.99 for my kids to compare - one of them is HUGE for the price
The first step is all about your hygiene habits and it appears that hot showers are now out of the question.
The pro advised: 'Take a shower 20 to 15 minutes before you go to sleep to cool down your body temperature.'
Next up, the sleep guru shared how a flannel could be the answer to sleepless summer nights.
The pro suggested: 'Take a flannel and run it under some cold water - this can be used to dab your face throughout the night to cool you down or as a cold compress on your head.'
How to keep cool in hot weather
Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS...
Keep out of the heat if you can.
If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter.
Cool yourself down.
Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.
Keep your living space cool.
Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.
Not only this, but it's also important to ensure sunlight doesn't invade your home where possible.
'Make sure all your blinds are down so the sunlight does not warm up your bedroom,' the expert stressed.
Finally, the EarthKind employee shared her 'favourite' piece of advice for hot sleepers.
Not only will it change how you make your bed, but it'll work in just 10 minutes too.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The embarrassing body issue that stops many women from going on roller coasters
A trip to a theme park with the family might sound like a great day out. But for some women, it's not always a pleasant experience. One particular health issue leads to anxiety about what should be a fun trip. Bladder leaks can be experienced by people of all ages but are often caused by pregnancy and childbirth. The common problem refers to the unintentional passing of urine. It's something that causes many women to skip roller coasters to avoid ruining their day. Millions of Brits are thought to be affected by the issue, but women have revealed the impact it has during their visits to theme parks. Research by Alton Towers Resort found that over half (58 per cent) of women say that fear of bladder leakage puts a downer on their family day out and can ruin their enjoyment. While 43 per cent of women admitted to avoiding rollercoasters completely over worries about bladder incontinence. Some even miss the day out completely, with 28 per cent sharing they have skipped a trip because they feel lonely or embarrassed due to the issue. While 40 per cent of women admitted they would be more likely to go on rollercoasters if they felt more confident about the bladder leak protection they used. The theme park released a video featuring Apprentice star Luisa Zissman and Celebs Go Dating expert Anna Williamson. The pair paid a visit to Alton Towers and interviewed women on their thoughts on bladder leaks. 'Why are you sitting here, sitting out, watching?' Luisa asked a woman at the park. She admitted: 'I wet myself just walking up that hill.' Luisa asked another pair: 'Would you rather scream on Wicker Man or sneeze with a full bladder?' One swiftly replied: 'Scream on Wicker Man.' Anna and Luisa asked pelvic floor physiotherapist Jennie Hughes for her best tips for those wanting to ride roller coasters without a worry. She said: 'I would say to squeeze at the back passage as if you're stopping wind from passing. Exhale and squeeze, inhale and relax.' The pair then went on to put their bladders to the test on Wicker Man. 'That was really fun,' Luisa exclaimed afterwards
Powys County Times
31 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Government partners with Mounjaro maker to tackle obesity
The Government has joined forces with the pharmaceutical giant that makes weight loss jab Mounjaro in a bid to tackle obesity. The move could see patients accessing care at pharmacies or by using online platforms. The £85 million programme from Eli Lilly and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been designed to look at how obese patients can access weight management care more easily. This includes through community services, in pharmacies and online. Using these tools, eligible patients could be treated 'in a matter of months', according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Under the agreement, the Government will contribute up to £50 million in UK-wide investment. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly will back the programme with £35 million, and NHS organisations will be able to apply for a share of the funding. Successful applicants can then use the cash to run and assess a pilot to build evidence for efficient obesity care in the UK. Eligible patients could be able to access these innovative services by summer 2026, the Government said. Mr Streeting warned that obesity is one of the leading causes of ill health and costs the health service billions. 'Yet, we now have the science, technology and knowledge to help tackle the obesity epidemic, if we seize this opportunity,' he added. 'This collaboration will help patients living with obesity in a matter of months – through testing better access to weight loss services and treatments. 'In the long-term it will inform how we can better tackle one of the biggest modern day health challenges and, through our Plan for Change, create an NHS that is fit for the future.' Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said new ways of accessing support 'could be transformational for people's quality of life, and for society'. They could free obese people from 'ill-health that holds them back in daily life – while reducing the strain on our NHS', he added. NHS England national medical director Dr Claire Fuller said: 'Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face and costs the NHS billions of pounds every year, so this collaboration between government and industry to drive new ways of supporting people with obesity could make a huge difference. 'The NHS is already developing and rolling out a range of ways to help people to manage their weight and live healthier lives, with patients benefiting from wraparound care from local weight management teams and via online support services, but we are excited by the potential of this collaboration to accelerate efforts to tackle obesity as the NHS moves from treatment to prevention as part of the 10-Year Health Plan.' Professor Rachel Batterham, senior vice president for international medical affairs at Lilly said: 'The launch of this programme marks an important milestone in advancing new models of care for obesity.' Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, welcomed the announcement but warned that funding should cover costs for pharmacies. 'This is a vital step forward in addressing one of the most pressing health challenges facing our country,' he said. 'It's important that any funding made available is sufficient to cover the costs involved for pharmacies to provide wraparound care and support. 'Community pharmacies already support over 1.4 million people every month with weight management services delivered by pharmacists who are highly trained professionals providing expert, accessible care. 'Despite this, the current NHS rollout remains extremely limited, with only a small number of eligible patients receiving support for obesity with weight loss treatments, and it is vital that this changes. 'With the right funding, pharmacies can scale up delivery quickly – ensuring more people get the help they need, when and where they need it.' News of the programme comes after Lilly published the results of a trial assessing a new daily pill for weight loss, which could offer a new and convenient alternative to jabs. People taking orforglipron lost an average of 12.3 kilograms in 72 weeks compared with those not taking the drug. The phased NHS roll-out of Lilly's weight loss jab Mounjaro to patients in England started in June for patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 40 and at least four co-morbidities.
Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Students fast tracked for autism diagnosis while children wait years
University students will be fast-tracked for autism diagnosis while children continue to wait years, The Telegraph can reveal. Students will be taken out of the regular local services amid surging referrals for young people, according to a trial at University College London starting in the upcoming academic year. Those still on the current waiting lists will still have to wait several years while students use the dedicated service. The NHS is providing £80,000 in funding to UCL, which is setting up a first-of-its-kind autism clinic to focus solely on students. The university-specific NHS clinic will investigate if the approach improves wait list times for both the general population as well as students during the course of the project from October 2025 until November 2026. Officials have said university students pose a 'specific challenge to the dynamics of adult waiting lists' because students can spend longer waiting for an appointment than the length of a degree. This serves to inflate waiting times for the general public in the neighbouring area as well as failing the student, officials say. There has been a 15-fold increase in the number of 18-24 year-olds seeking an appointment for an autism diagnosis since 2019, official data show. Demand for specialist clinics has soared since the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of increased awareness of autism symptoms, often driven by social media. The huge waiting lists mean people often wait several years to be seen by a clinician and get a diagnosis. This overburdening of autism services is forcing individuals with profound autism who require 24/7 care, including non verbal people, to suffer serious delays to their treatment with lifelong ramifications. In the contract between the NHS England and UCL, officials wrote: 'Removing student populations from local specialist autism teams could positively impact the waiting list.' A recent report found that almost a third of self-harm and suicide cases among university students involve neurodiverse individuals, including those with ADHD and autism Autism waiting lists have ballooned in recent years for all ages but most noticeably in under-25s. Telegraph analysis reveals that there were more than a quarter of a million people awaiting an appointment for a diagnosis in March 2025, the most recent available data, up from 17,400 in April 2019. Almost 75,000 children under 10 are on the waiting list, up more than 12-fold in six years from less than 6,000. There are almost 91,000 people between 10 and 25 currently awaiting a referral, up 12-fold from 7,700 pre-pandemic. In contrast, there are just 735 over-65s on the waiting list. However, this is up more than 11-fold itself from just 65 in 2019. An NHS England spokesman told The Telegraph: 'Backed by NHS funding, University College London is trialling a first-of-its-kind dedicated autism clinic and assessment referral pathway for university students. 'The aim is to test whether separating students from the mainstream waiting list leads to faster diagnosis and better support during the often-challenging transition to higher education. 'The project will also identify ways to improve how autistic and neurodivergent students are supported during university, as well as looking for ways to improve NHS services for autistic people more generally.' The system will only be open to UCL students as part of the pilot programme. A UCL spokesman said: 'The project has a number of aims including to pilot and evaluate a referral pathway for UCL students, so that if they suspect they are autistic, they can get a timely assessment at UCL. 'Given current waiting lists in NHS adult services, some people needing autism assessment at university cannot get their assessment until after they graduate.' Other goals of the project are to improve support that can be offered to autistic students and also improve training to clinicians. The UCL spokesman added: 'It is intended that this research will generate a range of new ideas for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of autism services, that can be adopted in settings across the country, such as NHS autism assessment clinics and general mental health services. 'This has the potential to contribute to improvements in the quality of services and waiting times nationally.' 'Diagnosis can be lifesaving' Mel Merritt, the head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: 'This trial is an opportunity to provide faster diagnosis and better support for autistic university students. 'An autism diagnosis is often life changing and can be lifesaving. University is an important transitional time for many young autistic people and it's important they receive a timely diagnosis so they can get the right support. 'Nine in 10 people wait longer than the recommended 13 weeks and the average wait time is more than 14 months, with many waiting years. 'Without a diagnosis, avoidable crises can develop and, while it shouldn't be the case, often support isn't provided until someone has a diagnosis. At school, this means children and young people miss out on years of their education. 'The Government must provide urgent funding for diagnosis services across the country to end this worsening crisis, and make sure autistic people and their families get the support they need.'
