Last night during a fierce storm, my entire neighborhood went dark as I was in the process of writing my next post for this blog Money Green Life. We lost power from 8pm to about 2am. There was nothing to do except play a few games from my iPhone. While that kept me entertained for an hour or two, it was slowly becoming really hot inside the house. Without any air conditioning, it was also a struggle just to fall asleep comfortably.
Fortunately, I was able to quickly discover a few tips on my own to help me fall asleep at night when there was no power.
Open Windows Strategically
Yes, I know. This one is a no-brainer. But what people generally don’t know is that simply opening windows is not enough and will not necessarily allow outside air to flow into the house, especially when there is no breeze outside. Air in a typical space travels from higher pressure to lower pressure, just like water (Bernoulli’s Principle?). So when you consider this principle, open your windows so that windows that are located in higher elevation is directly across from windows that are located in lower elevation. This causes a natural pressure gradient ventilation through the openings of these windows.
Take A Cold Shower
Yes, this one is a no-brainer as well. A very quick way to stop sweating is to cool off, with a cold shower. Not only will you feel cooler and refreshed, you’ll feel cleaner from washing away all that sweat. Additionally, using cold water to cool off helps maintain your hot water in your hot water heater. When the power is out, the hot water heater stops heating water, but the reservoir in the tank is still hot and can still be used if needed. This hot water shouldn’t be wasted in case you might need it for something more important.
Use Ice Packs
After taking a cold shower, wrap ice packs in a cloth and place them under your arms and on your forehead. These are the warmest parts of your body and keeping them cool will help you not sweat as much as you’re trying to fall asleep. Hopefully, by the time all that ice melts away, the power will be back on and you’ll already be sleeping like a baby.
These are very common sense practices to help you keep cool at night when you have power so you can sleep comfortably. I was able to sleep well last night using these tips and when I woke up in the morning, the power was back on and it was as if nothing had happened.
What are some of your ways to keep cool when there is no air conditioning available?
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