healthmedicinet

It promises to be one of the hottest days of the year, with the mercury expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius in parts of Britain today.

But while many welcome the six-day heat wave that began yesterday and will last through Sunday night, others are struggling to cope with the extreme weather.

Drinking plenty of water, staying in the shade, and avoiding exercise and direct sunlight during the hottest points of the day are general tips to avoid overheating.

Here, MailOnline shares expert-backed ways to stay cool during the hot weather.

Avoid drinking coffee

Coffee can provide that much-needed energy boost, but it’s not the best drink during hot weather.

The pick-me-up suppresses the hormone ADH, which usually causes the kidneys to retain water when your body is low on supplies.

This causes you to urinate more often than usual, resulting in dehydration.

So experts say it’s best to stick to water in hot weather.

Instead of drinking caffeine and alcohol, people should drink water. Feeling thirsty, passing dark yellow urine, feeling dizzy and having sunken eyes are all signs of dehydration in children and adults, according to the NHS.

Dehydration — when the body loses more fluid than it takes in — can cause splitting headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.

It can even result in hospitalization if it becomes severe, causing a weak or rapid pulse, seizures, or a low level of consciousness.

Being thirsty, passing dark yellow urine, feeling dizzy and having sunken eyes are all signs of dehydration in children and adults, according to the NHS.

The NHS advises people to drink caffeine in moderation during a heat wave. It suggests that you should check the label for drinks that contain a lot of caffeine.

However, some experts have questioned the dehydrating effect of coffee, suggesting that the fluid loss caused by it is compensated by the drink itself.

Eat spicy food

Although a cooling ice cream is best in warm weather, consuming a spicy curry may be the best way to cool down.

That’s because spicy food raises the body’s internal temperature, reflecting the weather, and causing it to sweat.

The active chemical in chili peppers, called capsaicin, can trigger the body to sweat and trigger thermogenesis — the process by which cells convert energy into heat.

Spicy food raises your internal body temperature, mirroring that of the weather, and causing you to sweat

American researchers Suppose this chemical stimulates a receptor found in sensory neurons, causing the sensation of heat and subsequent reactions such as redness and sweating.

The body heat causes sweat to evaporate, which has a long-lasting cooling effect.

In comparison, drinking a cold drink or consuming an ice cream raises body temperature in response to the cold, making people feel warmer.

Take a warm bath before going to bed

Staying cool when you’re trying to sleep can be one of the biggest problems during periods of hot weather.

And while it may seem counterintuitive, running a warm bath can do the trick.

Sleep and core body temperature are both controlled by the brain’s circadian clock, which drives 24-hour sleep and wake patterns.

At night the body temperature drops by about 2 degrees. This helps with conservation energy and sending energy to organs that need it.

But this cycle can be disrupted during periods of hot weather, potentially causing a miserable night’s sleep.

Researchers at the University of Texas found that taking a warm bath before going to bed helps cool down your body. This method works best if you take a hot bath or shower for 10 minutes an hour or two before going to bed.

However, science says that hot baths can help you cool down quickly.

Researchers at the University of Texas found that taking a warm bath before going to bed helps cool down your body.

That’s because the warm water causes the blood vessels in the skin’s surface to dilate, allowing blood to flow from the body’s internal core to the hands and feet.

So once you get out of the bath, it causes the body to cool down quickly.

This method works best if you take a 10-minute warm bath or shower an hour or two before going to bed, depending on the report published in Sleep Medical Reviews Journal in 2019.

Put your bedding in the freezer

Crisp, cool sheets are the perfect way to get a good night’s sleep after a day spent in the sun.

And while it may sound odd, putting bedding in the freezer can do wonders for lowering body temperature before bed.

Freezing your bedding will lower body temperature by the required 2°C needed for a good night’s sleep. But don’t forget to put your bedding in a plastic bag to prevent dirty bedding from contaminating your food

Similar to the hot bath trick before going to bed, relaxing in cool sheets causes the body temperature to drop by the required 2 degrees Celsius needed for good sleep.

But instead of your body radiating heat, this directly cools you from the outside in, preventing your internal temperature from rising again as it adjusts to the outside.

Dr. Mike Farquhar, a sleep medicine consultant at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, said putting bedding in the freezer for a few minutes at night will keep you cool throughout sleep.

However, remember to put your bedding in a plastic bag to prevent dirty bedding from contaminating your food or vice versa.