I’m a dad who holidays in caravans – my £1.40 hack cools the bedrooms & keeps the kids asleep longer
A DAD has shared a hack to help his children sleep on TikTok.
Dan, whose username on the app is @fundaddean, explained he uses tin foil to block out light from their room when they stay in a caravan.
He said: “[If] you go on caravan holidays or spend a lot of time in caravans like we do, got a little hack for you.
“Litlle bit of tinfoil on the window totally blacks out the room,” he explained showing howe he had already put some up.
“It helps your kid fall asleep quicker and they’ll stay asleep longer. Winner.”
People took to the comments to share howe good they thought the hack was, with some even sharing they already used it.
One person said: “I’m definitely trying this tonight.”
Another joked: “Might do this at home, never mind the caravan.”
A third wrote: “I have that up year round in my kids’ bedrooms [rolling on the floor laughing emoji].”
Someone asked whether the foil helped keep out the heat to which Dean replied it “seems to” and it didn’t make the room any hotter than it already is.
With temperatures in the higher numbers within the coming weeks, Dean’s hack might be helpful, and he isn’t the first to suggest something like it.
You can get tin foil for just £1.40 from Tesco.
A sleep expert recently revealed the best ways to get some shut-eye while it’s hot, including investing in some blackout curtains.
Dr Maja Schaedel said: “In order for us to fall asleep, we need our core body temperature to come down by one or two degrees. That sends a signal to our brain that it’s time to go to sleep.
“In summer it’s hard to achieve that because it’s really warm, so that is one of the biggest challenges, how we get our core body temperature to go down when it’s really hot outside.
“That’s definitely one of the ways because our body thinks it’s daytime.”
She continued by saying light can be disruptive to our sleep as it stays lighter for longer and the sun rises earlier.
“Light and daylight is one of the core ways for our circadian rhythm to work as it should – with the circadian rhythm basically being our internal body clock.
“This is the thing that tells us when it’s daytime and we should be awake, then when it’s nighttime and that’s when we should be asleep.
“Light is one of the best ways of signalling that.
“What tends to happen is in the early evening when the sun goes down, this sends a signal to our brain that actually increases the production of hormones called melatonin, which is our sleeping hormone.
“Melatonin is important for us to know that it’s time to sleep. In summertime, when it stays lighter for much longer, obviously that signalling doesn’t happen in the same way.
“Therefore, the melatonin production isn’t quite great and our circadian rhythm gets confused and doesn’t get the same signal that it’s time to go to bed.
How to keep cool in a heatwave
Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS...
Keep out of the heat if you can.
If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter.
Cool yourself down.
Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.
Keep your living space cool.
Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.