Heat and Sleep: My Experience and What I Learned
The past few nights have been brutal. With the heatwave rolling through, sleep has been a struggle—not just for me, but for many people I’ve spoken to at the gym. I found myself tossing and turning, waking up feeling like I’d barely slept, and dragging my way through the next day. It wasn’t just me, though—members were coming in saying the same thing: “I feel wrecked,” “I barely slept,” “This heat is killing me.”
It got me thinking about just how much heat can affect sleep and, in turn, performance.
What I Noticed
When the temperatures stay high overnight, your body struggles to cool down, which makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. I saw it firsthand—not just in myself, but in others. Clients who are normally full of energy looked drained, workouts felt harder, and focus was off. It’s crazy how just a few bad nights of sleep can impact everything—energy, mood, performance, even motivation.
How I Handled It
Instead of getting frustrated, I started making small adjustments and encouraging others to do the same:
Cooling down the room – I made sure to keep the blinds closed during the day to block out the heat, used fans, and even tried a cold shower before bed.
Adjusting training intensity – Some days, I just didn’t have the energy to push at 100%, and that’s okay. I reminded myself (and my clients) that listening to your body is key.
Hydration and recovery – Upping my water intake and making sure I wasn’t dehydrated before bed made a difference. Alcohol and heavy meals late at night? Not so helpful.
Not overthinking it – This was a big one. I reminded myself that it’s temporary. A few bad nights of sleep won’t derail everything. Stressing about it only makes it worse, and like the old saying goes: This too shall pass.
The Takeaway
Heat is going to mess with sleep from time to time, and when it does, it’s important to adjust. Modify your workouts, stay hydrated, cool down your space, and most importantly—don’t stress about it too much.
The heat will fade, your sleep will bounce back, and so will you.