To prepare your bedroom for the night ahead - try to keep the blinds drawn when the sun is shining into your room and if the air is hot then close the window too during the day.  Open the window when the air has cooled in the evening to help lower the temperature inside.  A bowl of ice cold water placed on the windowsill will further help to cool the air coming into the room.

Only use natural fibre sheets on your bed - polycotton or polyester sheets will just make you feel hotter.  A good quality cotton under and top sheet will help to let your body breathe overnight.  Dont be afraid to wet your top sheet with cold water too, this will help to cool your skin and is a trick that is used frequently in Meditterranean countries.

Ignore the grumpy cat - even a summer weight duvet is too hot for heatwave temperatures.  A top sheet will probably be enough but if you've been very successful at cooling your room then add a lightweight woollen blanket to the bottom of your bed that you can quickly pull it up if needed during the night.

Have a cool, but not cold,  bath or shower before you go to bed.  This will remove any stickiness from your skin and  lower your overall body temperature and help to relax you. By contrast a cold shower will tell your body that it needs to warm you up and will therefore increase your body heat

Close down all blue light emitting devices at least two hours before bed.  Not only does the blue light confuse your brain into feeling more alert than it should at bedtime but having a gadget to hand will add extra heat to your room which you don't want.

Eliminate all unecessary light in your bedroom.  If you have a TV in there then try not to leave it on standby.  If you cant be without your phone close at hand then turn it off before you go to bed.  Let the darkness settle around you and be drawn into the shadows towards sleep by it.

A polyester nightdress will not let your skin breathe like a pure cotton one will.  Bamboo also makes a wonderful fabric for nightwear in all weathers as it naturally helps to thermo-regulate your temperature Don't be tempted to sleep without clothes, it may seem like a good idea but not only will you feel warmer than if you had a cool nightdress on, you will be more likely to be bitten during the night by all those pesky insects!

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during the day.  Tea, coffee and wine don't really count for this!  A long glass of diluted fruit juice or squash is much better and I prefer it to plain water as it helps to add some important salts and sugars to your system.  Be sure to take a glass of water to bed with you in case you wake in the night feeling thirsty.