Sleep better, stay hydrated and keep cool: 5 tips for beating the summer heat
25/6/2026
Translation: machine translated
Drink plenty of fluids, take it easy, wear light, breathable clothing: when it gets really hot again, we immediately look for ways to cool down. Find out here how a few clever tricks can make the summer heat more bearable and help keep your body healthy.
As soon as the thermometer climbs above thirty degrees, your body comes under stress. Your body dilates your blood vessels and pumps vast amounts of blood into the capillaries to release heat into the air and thus prevent overheating. This is vital for survival, but there’s a catch. Because of this redistribution, your brain and internal organs are deprived of oxygen and energy. You feel sluggish, tired and exhausted. As if you’ve been knocked out by the heat.
You’re no doubt already familiar with the usual advice for combating this heat exhaustion: drink plenty of fluids, avoid the sun, keep your home cool and dark, wear light, breathable clothing and reduce physical exertion. But if you don’t want to hole up, exhausted and motionless, in a dark cellar until summer is over, these five tips will help you regulate your internal air conditioning effectively.
1. Bitter instead of sweet
If you treat yourself to a cold fizzy drink to cool down in hot weather, your body faces a problem: your metabolism is already working flat out in the heat. If it then has to expend additional energy to digest the sugar, it produces even more internal heat. Opt instead for bitter alternatives such as cold green tea or sugar-free tonic water. As bitter compounds stimulate saliva production, they can pleasantly curb your thirst. What’s more, plant-based bitter compounds (also found in salads such as radicchio) or the quinine in tonic water take the strain off your liver. If you prefer water, still water is better than sparkling water, as the carbonation can sometimes put additional strain on the stomach in hot weather.
2. An evening magnesium bath
Before going to bed, a foot bath helps to release excess heat. Even if you’re longing for something cold, the water should never be icy, but rather lukewarm. This allows the blood vessels to dilate and the heat to be released via the feet. So far, so familiar. The bath becomes particularly effective with one key addition: magnesium flakes. These are pure magnesium chloride flakes from natural salt deposits, which dissolve immediately in water. Some studies suggest that magnesium can calm the nervous system and relieve muscle tension. Your whole body winds down more easily and you’ll drift off to sleep more quickly on tropical nights.
3. Menthol for the cold receptors
If you’re looking for quick refreshment on hot days, peppermint oil is one of the most effective remedies. The oil cools you down via a very elegant physiological mechanism. The menthol it contains binds to the TRPM8 cold receptors in the skin and signals to the brain that there has been a noticeable drop in temperature. Ice-cold drinks, on the other hand, lower the core body temperature and force the system to immediately produce its own heat. Menthol creates the sensation of cold exclusively on the surface of the skin. This keeps your circulation steady and means your body doesn’t have to regulate itself.
For the ultimate refreshing experience, mix a few drops of pure peppermint oil with water in a small spray bottle. After a quick shake, a few sprays on your pulse points, neck or temples are all you need. You can also add a little oil to your body lotion and rub it into your legs after a shower.
4. The hot water bottle in the freezer
Have you already put your hot water bottle away with your winter clothes? Then quickly take it out of the cupboard again and use it as a cooling bottle. Fill it halfway with cold tap water and place it in the freezer for two hours. In the evening, wrap it in a towel and take it to bed with you. It will give off a gentle coolness for many hours. The thick material reliably protects your skin from the cold damage that can be caused by plastic ice packs.
5. Cooling through breathing
You can also simply breathe your way to feeling cool. Sitali breathing from Ayurveda uses simple physics to cool you down. Roll your tongue into a small tube and inhale the air through it with a hissing sound. If, for genetic reasons, you are unable to roll your tongue, simply place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth. The incoming air brushes past the moist saliva and cools down before reaching your lungs. This refreshes your throat and can noticeably calm your body.
So you can safely leave that darkened cellar empty. If you control your own internal air conditioning with a few physiological tricks, you take the strain off the whole system. Your circulation runs more smoothly, you can think more clearly, and that sluggish exhaustion gives way to a pleasant summery feeling.
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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