Worried about your summer cooling bill? It’s that time again, and that means hot days and uncomfortably warm nights for anyone who’s trying to save on the cost of cooling their home. If this includes you, go ahead and turn the AC back at night because we’ve got you covered. We have a few tricks for anyone wondering how to sleep in the heat, including one that uses ancient Egyptian medicine to keep you cool all night long and one that’s been around for thousands of years.

Egyptian Sleep Method

Egyptians knew how to handle the heat, which is good, considering spring temperatures in some parts of their country top out at around 113 degrees Fahrenheit. To sleep more comfortably at night, people in this part of the world once soaked their blankets in water. When it was time to turn in, they wrapped the blankets around their bodies and went to sleep. Throughout the night, the heat caused the water to evaporate off the blankets, keeping the person inside nice and cool. By morning, the blankets were probably dry and ready for the same treatment all over again the next night.

It was a fool-proof way of keeping cool under extreme temperatures, and you can still use a refined version of this method today when it’s too hot to sleep:

• Soak a blanket or beach towel in cold water.
• Run it through the spin cycle of your washing machine.
• Place a dry towel on the bed, and lie down.
• Use the wet blanket as a cover.
• Turn the air on low, or run a box fan in the room to keep the air flowing, which will help cool you even more.

Using the Egyptian method of staying cool while sleeping will help you save money on your monthly utility bill. It can also make nights more comfortable during power outages, camping or for anyone who doesn’t have indoor air conditioning.

Self-Hypnosis

Self-hypnosis may be another way to help you keep cool when it’s too hot to sleep. Simplified, this means to think cool thoughts. Initially, you’ll need to put yourself into a hypnotized state. But once you’re feeling chill — you can actually lower your own body temperature simply by thinking about things such as cool colors, icy drinks and air conditioning and by picturing your body becoming cool. It may sound like quack medicine, but there’s real science behind it. The history of hypnosis dates back at least to the 1700s, when the German physician, Franz Mesmer, used various forms of it to help reduce and alleviate psychosomatic symptoms in patients.

Whether you’re a fan of the actual wet blanket, or you prefer to try and convince yourself that you’re actually cool enough to sleep, both methods have proven beneficial when nighttime temps just won’t cooperate. If your air conditioner conks out this summer, try these two alternative methods to help you sleep more comfortably. You might be surprised at how well they work.