Eleanor Job, a marketing worker, decided to completely abandon her bedroom in an attempt to get a better night’s sleep after “not sleeping a wink” in 35C heat
As the UK bakes under a fierce heatwave, residents are resorting to drastic lengths to catch some proper shut-eye. Marketing worker Eleanor Job decided to ditch her bedroom altogether in a bid to get a better night’s rest after “not sleeping a wink” the night before.
The recent scorching weather in the capital hit its peak on Thursday, July 9, with temperatures soaring to 35C. With the Met Office forecasting that the mercury won’t drop significantly over the coming week, people are going to extraordinary lengths to stay cool.
Eleanor was one such person, pitching a tent, using a yoga mat as a makeshift mattress and even positioning her indoor fan on the balcony aimed directly into the tent.
The Verdict: Did sleeping outside help Eleanor feel cooler during the heatwave?
Upon waking the following morning, Eleanor said: “Was it actually worth me sleeping in a tent on my balcony to escape the heatwave? I would actually say it was.
“I’d give it a solid 8 out of 10. Pros are I had a good night’s sleep, I slept for seven hours rather than three to four. I have so much more energy today, like genuinely I feel, I feel amazing.”
She did concede, however, that using a yoga mat as a mattress was far from ideal, admitting her hips were “so sore” come morning. She went on: “I got woken up at about 3am because I was too cold and I had to go and get a blanket, and I also got woken up at like five because the sun came up and the door [of the tent] was open so the light woke me up.
“But even though there’s a lot of downsides I would still do it again because honestly there’s nothing worse than trying to fall asleep and being too hot, like I cannot stand it.”
Eleanor’s warning to people who want to try sleeping outside in heatwave
She rated the outdoor sleeping experience so highly that she repeated it the following night with a few tweaks, including using sofa cushions as a makeshift mattress and keeping an eye mask and ear buds nearby to block out any unwanted disturbances.
After posting about her experience on TikTok, numerous viewers responded with their own tales.
One person wrote: “I tried sleeping outside but got woken by a fox sniffing my toes.”
Another commented: “Eye mask, or wrap a piece of cloth over your eyes, and white noise in earphones. If I had a balcony I would camp on it. But I wouldn’t camp in my garden because the insects creep me out.”
A third chipped in: “We stayed in a Premier Inn in the last heatwave. We woke up absolutely frozen from the air-conditioning. Its a wonderful memory.”
