My AC unit died on a Tuesday in July. The repair guy could not come until Friday. The forecast for Wednesday: 97°F with 70% humidity. I genuinely considered sleeping in my car with the engine running.

I did not die. I did not even sleep that badly, after I stopped making the mistakes everyone makes in a heat wave. Here is what I learned across those four days — what actually cooled me down and what just made me feel like I was doing something.

Close Everything Before Sunrise

The biggest mistake I made on day one: I opened all the windows in the morning because it felt nice. By 10am the outside air was 85 degrees and my house was filling with it. I had turned my house into an oven and then trapped the heat inside when I finally closed the windows.

Here is the correct sequence:

• Open windows at night when the outside temperature drops below the inside temperature. Use box fans in windows to pull cool air in on one side of the house and push hot air out on the other.
• Close everything by 7am or whenever the sun hits your windows. Windows, blinds, curtains — everything. You are trapping the cool night air inside and blocking the sun.
• Do not open windows again until the outside temperature drops below inside — usually after sunset.

The Ice Bowl Fan Trick (It Actually Works)

Put a bowl of ice in front of a fan. The fan blows air across the ice, which cools the air through evaporation. It is not air conditioning — do not expect a 20-degree drop — but it takes the edge off enough to sleep.

A shallow, wide bowl works better than a deep one because more ice surface is exposed to the airflow. I used a roasting pan. Refill the ice as it melts. Aim the fan at your face or torso — cooling your core is more effective than cooling your whole room.

Cool Your Pulse Points

Your body cools itself by sending blood to the surface. You can help this along by applying cold to places where blood vessels are close to the skin: wrists, neck, temples, inside of elbows, behind knees, tops of feet.

I kept a damp washcloth in the fridge (not freezer — frozen cloths hurt). Every 30 minutes I would drape the cold cloth across the back of my neck. Instant relief, and it actually lowered my perceived temperature for about 10 minutes at a time.

The Kitchen Is the Enemy

Do not use the oven. Do not use the stove if you can avoid it. A gas stove puts out a shocking amount of heat. I ate cold sandwiches and salads for three days. On the fourth day I grilled outside at dusk so I did not heat up the house.

Also, unplug electronics you are not using. Laptops, chargers, gaming consoles — they generate more heat than you think. My TV was noticeably warm to the touch even in standby mode.

Sleeping Strategy

Sleep on the lowest floor of your house. Heat rises. My basement was a full 10 degrees cooler than my upstairs bedroom. I dragged a mattress down there and slept better than I had all week.

If you do not have a basement, sleep with a slightly damp sheet. The evaporative cooling effect works on your body the same way it works on the ice bowl. You will feel cold for the first minute, then comfortable. Do not soak the sheet — just mist it with a spray bottle.