How to keep cool in the heatwave
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Well, we're in the middle of a heatwave at the moment with the worst or the best, depending on how you look at it still to come. Temperatures could exceed 30 degrees tomorrow. It's not only the peak heat that some people struggle with, but sleep can also be really hard at night. So what can we do? How can we keep... Cool to discuss this. I'm joined now by consultant in emergency medicine in St.
What are the current conditions of the heatwave?
Vincent's University Hospital, Dr. John Legge and weekend columnist with the Irish examiner, Esther McCarthy. You're both very welcome to the show. Esther, to come to you, I'm going to be honest here with yourself and with listeners. I'm operating on maybe two and a half, maybe three and a half hours sleep last night. Barely a wink. You?
You're not alone there, Ciara. Yeah, there wasn't much sleep going on in this house now. And I know we're waiting all here for a nice day, but it's no joke when the kids can't sleep, when the animals are angsty, when you're not getting any sleep and you're Head starts going. So yeah, no, it's too hot to bed rot.
How does heat affect sleep during a heatwave?
That's the only thing. The kids are getting up early. The teenagers ain't lolling around in the bed because they're too hot. So they're up for a reasonable hour for once. But the smallies are, they're just all over the place. It's awful.
Great. OK, so they're all over the place. The adults are all over the place. The house basically is all over the place. And yet I don't want to complain because I do embrace the warm weather and I do love all the positives that come with it. But do you have any sort of tips and tricks you're using yourself to try and cool yourself down, cool the kids down? Wait till I tell you. Oh, oh, oh, she has a plan.
The mommies, the what up mommy groups went crazy. We are all helping each other and I genuinely got some amazing tips. The first one that we've been doing for the last couple of nights, hot water bottles in the freezer. So obviously you take off the cover. Usually you're trying to be all warm and cosy and especially the long ones. I don't know if you've seen those ones recently. They kind of drape around your neck and stuff. So we put them in the freezer and then putting them in the cold bottle then goes in between the sheets and it just cools everything down. It really works. well last night it really worked for the little man so i'm going to try it again tonight i've been pulling all the blinds and curtains down first thing in the morning and keeping them closed all day even though it goes against every irish instinct in my body to
burst open and leave all the sunshine in. But if the room is hot all day, it's impossible to cool it down. None of us have air conditioning in this country, you know, so we need to do it kind of the natural way. And then another one that a mom told me this morning, which I haven't tried, but a wet pillowcase into a plastic bag into the freezer. for 20 minutes before bed. It feels incredible apparently because you know the worst thing about it I think here is the hot sticky pillowcase and the back of your head is all itchy and yucky and a cool pillowcase sounds like it could be a game changer as well. So I'll try anything and the dog I'm putting ice cubes into the dog's water which seems to kind of help him even though he's kind of
just draped around the place, panting and looking like he's going to die. And then a glass of water next to every bed. We all woke up with scratchy throats this morning and I thought we're coming down with something summer flu. I was like getting really hyper. But we dehydrate during the night because we're sweating so much more. So water during the little sips and hopefully that will sort us out for tonight.
All right. Well, let's bring in Dr. John Legg to get the medical opinion here, because we have some what I think sounds like really worthy advice there. Dr. Soaking wet pillowcase in the freezer for 20 minutes before you go to bed. Recommended from a medical perspective?
Like it's not one I've heard of before, but whatever works.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:32
2
What are the current conditions of the heatwave?
0:32–1:14
3
How does heat affect sleep during a heatwave?
1:14–6:36
4
What practical tips can help keep cool during the day?
6:36–8:10
5
How can hot water bottles be used to cool down at night?
8:10–9:52