DO bubble-wrap your windows
Strangely, this requires having a roll of bubble-wrap in your possession, but if you do, you can actually use it to almost double-glaze your windows, keeping the heat out of your home.
Apparently, all you have to do is cover the windows and metal window frames; according to Jenny Edwards, a scientist who specialises in designing homes to suit Canberra’s fluctuating range of temperatures, the still layer of air trapped in the bubbles gives a cheap double-glazed-type effect.
DON’T sleep naked (as tempting as it may be)
Did you know that sleeping sans, well, anything can actually moisture your body produces when you’re sleeping can’t evaporate as it is trapped between your skin and your sleeping surface.
Go for light cotton PJs, and avoid non-breathable fabrics like nylon and silk at all costs.
DO put your sheets in the freezer two hours before going to bed
Yes, and that goes for your pillowcases, too. Just fold them up, place them in a bag and pop them in the freezer a couple of hours before going to bed.
Don’t want to sleep in a wet bed? Opt for linen or bamboo bedding to keep you cool (hot tip: these fabrics will absorb your sweat, too).
DON’T use sunscreen you keep in the car
Sun protection on a 40-degree day is a no-brainer, but if sunscreen is kept at a hot temperature, say, in a parked car, the active ingredients used to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays can degrade and diminish.
Sunburn can lead to headaches, nausea and dehydration, so keeping your skin protected from the sun the right way will make a day spent in the heat much more bearable.
DO run your wrists under cold water
As a pulse point, your wrist is home to close-to-the-surface blood vessels, which means that when you’re hot, running cool water over these spots can, in fact, bring your blood and body temperatures down.
If you’re in a place without access to water (on a scorching hot day this would be, err, slightly concerning…), licking your wrists can cool you down – seriously, this is how monkeys have been scientifically proven to beat the heat.
DON’T drink ice-cold water
Even though it’s seriously tempting, drinking ice-cold water on a hot day or night can actually slow down your metabolism, which ultimately decreases your body’s hydration levels and impacts your body’s ability to cool off.
Go for tap-water instead.
