The worst nights of summer are the ones where the temperature drops to only eighty degrees and the bedroom turns into a convection oven. I have slept through plenty of them without blasting the AC, and it comes down to a few changes that cost almost nothing.

Fix your bedding first

Flannel and heavy cotton trap heat all night. Swap in lightweight, breathable sheets, preferably cotton percale or linen, which let air move instead of holding it. A flat sheet alone can replace a comforter in summer. Skip the memory foam pillow if it sleeps hot and try a buckwheat or cooling gel pillow instead. Your head gives off a lot of heat.

Use the night air

When the outdoor temperature drops after sunset, open the windows and run a fan to pull cool air through. A window fan set to exhaust at one window and a second window cracked open creates a cross breeze. Strategic fan placement beats one fan blowing on you. If you have a ceiling fan, run it counterclockwise in summer, which pushes air straight down.

The pre sleep cool down

Your body needs to drop about a degree to fall asleep easily. Help it along: take a lukewarm shower before bed, not cold, since cold water makes your body heat up to compensate. Fill a hot water bottle with cold water and put it at your feet, or keep your feet out from under the sheet. Cooling your feet cools your whole body fast, because blood circulates through them constantly.

Small tricks that add up

• Freeze a damp washcloth and keep it on the nightstand for your forehead or neck.
• Close curtains and blinds during the day so the room does not pre heat all afternoon.
• Move your bed away from a wall that gets direct afternoon sun.
• Run a fan pointed at the ceiling to keep air moving even if it is not aimed at you.

On truly brutal nights, I cool the room for an hour with the AC before bed, then switch it off and sleep with the window fan. A short pre cool beats running the AC all night. My electric bill stays reasonable and I still get real sleep in July.