With another heatwave sweeping the UK this week, sleeping is going to be more of a challenge. When it’s hot and sticky late into the night it can be impossible to get comfortable, and even more so to actually fall asleep.

Having a  fan blasting all night can help, but it’ll bump up your energy bill and if you struggle to sleep with the noise, it still might not do the trick. However, there is one method I always use in hot weather that works like a charm and even better, costs nothing to implement.  To cool yourself down in a heatwave, all you’ll need is a plastic bottle and water.

Fill the bottle with water - I use a Nalagene, but an old Coke bottle will work too - and pop it in the freezer in the morning.

By the time the evening rolls around, the water in the bottle should have frozen solid. Place the bottle in a sock, or wrap it in a tea towel and place it between your thighs.

By laying the ice against your thigh, it will sit against your femoral artery. By applying ice here, it will quickly cool you down and lower your body temperature, making it easier to sleep.

This works because the ice rests against the large arteries in your leg, which cools the blood passing over them. This blood is then pumped throughout your body in minutes, cooling you down. 

There are other pulse points you can ice which will work just as well - places like your neck, the back of your knee and the inside of your wrists.

I have used this hack for months now and it is the best way I have found to cool off. I am someone who runs extremely hot at all times, and when I am overheating I struggle to sleep.

My body temperature also raises the ambient temperature of my bedroom, but if I use this hack, the temperature in the room lowers as I cool off. This is especially helpful if I am sharing a room with my boyfriend or another friend because I can cool a room by cooling myself.