It's too hot to sleep in Mallorca!

Now all of a sudden we’re moaning because it’s too hot! Last year was one of the hottest on record and seemed to last the whole summer. This year it’s definitely arrived later but now with a vengeance. We’ve always resisted the temptation of air conditioning in our house. Which for those that know me will be surprising as I’ll have the air con on in the car in December. I think this comes from a childhood growing up in a house that didn’t have central heating. My mother and father were old school, so it was a coal fire that heated our home. Now to choose not to have air conditioning wasn’t an attempt for us to save money but for a guy that has worked in an industry where your voice is one of the main tools, air con wasn’t the best thing. In our Pirates office, we have the battle of the air temperature. Some like it hot and some like it cold and it’s a constant fight to keep everyone happy. I saw once on Dragons Den a guy who’d invented the personally heated or cooled desk. I thought it was a great idea but the Dragons whilst recognising it was a problem refused to invest in it.

This current heatwave reminds me of the time we hired an all singing all dancing camper van last year to visit some friends in Porto Cristo. We did it because a weekend on the road was cheaper than a hotel room for one night and it would be a change from the norm for us. I should have taken more notice of the guy when I picked it up. He said, ‘you do know you’ve picked the hottest weekend of the year?’ I laughed and off I drove. Porto Cristo is a beautiful town in Mallorca, it’s the home of Rafa Nadal who is often seen out and about and his yacht stands out a mile in the port.

We had a lovely afternoon with our friends on the beach and in the bars, which culminated in an early evening meal. At which point we headed back to our van which I’d parked in a shaded area under some trees. Now this was an air conditioned van but that only worked when you were driving. If you were parked up you were exposed to the heat and inside a camper van this felt ten times worse. Now I don’t mind a sauna but this was ridiculous. I waited as long as I thought necessary as I’d had a few drinks but as soon as I said to everyone ‘who wants to go home?’ I was greeted by a resounding cheer. I dropped the van back the next day to a slightly bemused owner and said maybe another time when it’s cooler. I’ve always wanted to go to America and do a drive in a camper van, judging by the look on my wife’s face when I mention it that’s not happening! So we’ve decided to go to the dark side and get air conditioning in the house. Not all over but in the bedrooms so we can sleep.

If you’re not in that lucky position, here are a few tips to keep yourself or your bedroom cool.

1 Choose mattress cover, sheets, and pillowcases made of cotton, even better white cotton.
2 Use a simple T-shirt made of cotton as pyjamas, without prints that can prevent the breathability of the fabric.
3 The old trick of putting the pillowcase a few minutes in the fridge always works. Use a bag though to avoid wetting them.
4 If keeping the windows open is not enough, help yourself with one or more fans. Do not turn them directly on yourself but use them to circulate the air in the bedroom as much as possible.
5 If you wake up flushed during the night, wet your wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. This will give you relief and will help you to fall asleep again.
6 Stay apart from your partner, ok so it’s not romantic, but an essential remedy against the summer sweats.
7 Eat a light meal that is easy to digest.
8 Drink water before you go to bed. But not too much or you’ll be up all night peeing.
9 A shower before bed is always a good idea, but not too cold or you will have the opposite reaction. Warm water is perfect for lowering your body temperature.
10 As you know, warm air goes up, so if you can, sleep in the lower floors of your home, where the temperature is definitely lower than that of the upper floors.
If all else fails, get air conditioning fitted!

Take care everybody and enjoy your weekend!