How to Sleep When It's Really Hot

[Wotname]

Hmm... the devil is in the detail - given the location of the study is Baoding, I suggest the data has only some relevance to sleep quality of the majority of cruisers.

...The experiments were conducted in a top floor non-air-conditioned house in Baoding, and the house maintained natural ventilation during the experiment.[/I]

From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baoding

...Baoding has a continental, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate/semi-arid climate characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, very dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone...

However as an side benefit, I did learn that Baoding has two North American sister cities (Charlotte, NC & Gravenhurst, Ont) but none down under!

[MartinF]

If you're a cruiser, cruise to somewhere cooler

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by MartinF

If you're a cruiser, cruise to somewhere cooler

Easy to say, not that easy to do. From my current location there are very few options for a yachtsman. India? Thailand? Singapore? Philippines?Indonesia? are the closest .... but still damned hot. Night time temp here (ashore in Langkawi) is quite high and fans are the best option. The white noise is a distinct advantage with the local mosques in the dawn but recently the torrential rain on the tin roof and howling wind has been a welcome relief from both the white noise the mosque and all but the loudest of thunder claps.

[sailingunity]

Somehow I don't buy this. Humans have, for the majority of history, lived without air conditioning. Or perhaps this explains why humanity has come so far in the last century?

[Shanachie]

My flippant reaction is, drink a lot of beer. Many years ago, the comedian Rodney Dangerfield said, "I don''t sleep. I pass out."


More seriously, lots and lots of fans, including one blowing directly on you.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Yes, the savory and hot breakfasts take some getting used to but they are fantastic.

Tonight? Screw it. I’m running my generator at sunset for an hour to cool the intense heat down. It’s so hot I couldn’t do anything after noon except splash myself with water and lie down on the salon floor.

I have a huge todo list I can’t even do which includes cooking, cleaning, boat work, office work. The heat is just disgusting and no breeze plus pollution and I am living in a greenhouse.

You definitely need to get the LFP-inverter-solar system right so you can run A/C when you want, it enables everything.

On the hard in blistering Florida heat, we can keep on working by using this $400 trick that simply runs on solar all day
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08677DCKN

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

You definitely need to get the LFP-inverter-solar system right so you can run A/C when you want, it enables everything.

On the hard in blistering Florida heat, we can keep on working by using this $400 trick that simply runs on solar all day
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08677DCKN

I can already run 36,000 BTUs of air conditioning without being in the water. Remember. I don’t have through hulls. My whole boat is air cooled and designed to eliminate having to fix and maintain things. No through hulls, no constantly breaking circulation pumps. No zincs. No salt water brought into the boat to break and corrode things. It’s a beautiful thing.

I don’t typically stay in small crowded anchorages when it is blazingly hot. Or ever. I had to come here to pick up some things. I was concerned about the noise of generators running with neighbors close by. They have left thankfully. I’m still a little bit concerned about the neighbors on land. It’s that small of a spot.

But I ran the air conditioner for about six hours yesterday. Today’s going to be much hotter. Heat advisory. I am living in a greenhouse which doublers the heat. Catamarans aren’t fantastic in that way.

However, a small air conditioner like that or even smaller hopefully would be nice to run through the stateroom door. That I could run all night long with my current lithium set up.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I can already run 36,000 BTUs of air conditioning without being in the water. Remember. I don’t have through hulls. My whole boat is air cooled and designed to eliminate having to fix and maintain things. No through hulls, no constantly breaking circulation pumps. No zincs. No salt water brought into the boat to break and corrode things. It’s a beautiful thing.

I don’t typically stay in small crowded anchorages when it is blazingly hot. Or ever. I had to come here to pick up some things. I was concerned about the noise of generators running with neighbors close by. They have left thankfully. I’m still a little bit concerned about the neighbors on land. It’s that small of a spot.

But I ran the air conditioner for about six hours yesterday. Today’s going to be much hotter. Heat advisory. I am living in a greenhouse which doublers the heat. Catamarans aren’t fantastic in that way.

However, a small air conditioner like that or even smaller hopefully would be nice to run through the stateroom door. That I could run all night long with my current lithium set up.

Then why are you laying on the salon floor, throwing water over yourself in blistering heat, instead of doing projects in the luxury of solar powered air conditioning?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Then why are you laying on the salon floor, throwing water over yourself in blistering heat, instead of doing projects in the luxury of solar powered air conditioning?

36,000 BTU (20kw) is a bit much for solar. Heat loading of the boat requires that much air conditioning.

That was generator-based air conditioning.

Small anchorage. I was suffering to be courteous to those around me.

I’m not typically in such a small, quiet place where people are all around. I was trying to be courteous.

My generators are not too loud but audible and potentially annoying. I was trying to be a good neighbor.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Chotu

36,000 BTU (20kw) is a bit much for solar. Heat loading of the boat requires that much air conditioning.

That was generator-based air conditioning.

Small anchorage. I was suffering to be courteous to those around me.

I’m not typically in such a small, quiet place where people are all around. I was trying to be courteous.

My generators are not too loud but audible and potentially annoying. I was trying to be a good neighbor.

That much? Surely that is for the complete boat and not just the cabin you’re working in? Our friends on a Dolphin 460 use the VSD 10kBTU model in their cabin all night and only use 1.3kWh ! (Edit: they just sold their genset)

Does your cat have that much more heat loading? Can’t you use awnings?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

That much? Surely that is for the complete boat and not just the cabin you’re working in? Our friends on a Dolphin 460 use the VSD 10kBTU model in their cabin all night and only use 1.3kWh !

Does your cat have that much more heat loading? Can’t you use awnings?

Yes. That is the complete boat. I am not working in a cabin. 10,000 BTU is way too much for a cabin. But, with the variable speed compressor that makes sense. It can slow down and put out way less than that. I am working in the galley. In the salon. All over the place.

Awnings don’t work very well. I have a different system that works much better. I actually block out the windows completely using reflective foil bubble wrap and 25 mm foam insulation panels. These are panels you insert into the windows to block heat (or cold this winter).

Remember I started in Florida. I have the maximum capabilities here for cooling.

36,000 BTU isn’t even very high for a catamaran this size. Many have much more powerful air conditioning. I have excellent insulation properties here. Even the hull itself is R7 insulation rating.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Yes. That is the complete boat. I am not working in a cabin. 10,000 BTU is way too much for a cabin. But, with the variable speed compressor that makes sense. It can slow down and put out way less than that. I am working in the galley. In the salon. All over the place.

Awnings don’t work very well. I have a different system that works much better. I actually block out the windows completely using reflective foil bubble wrap and 25 mm foam insulation panels. These are panels you insert into the windows to block heat (or cold this winter).

Remember I started in Florida. I have the maximum capabilities here for cooling.

36,000 BTU isn’t even very high for a catamaran this size. Many have much more powerful air conditioning. I have excellent insulation properties here. Even the hull itself is R7 insulation rating.

You say awnings don’t work very well and you have a better system… but I can live aboard in comfort using just an awning alone, which completely shades us, while you are throwing water over yourself and laying down on the floor in the salon in unbearable heat. Maybe awnings work really good?

You think Florida is worst? We’re back in Florida after 10 years Panama and South America before that and I can tell you Florida is fresh and fruity compared what they throw your way in June there!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

You say awnings don’t work very well and you have a better system… but I can live aboard in comfort using just an awning alone, which completely shades us, while you are throwing water over yourself and laying down on the floor in the salon in unbearable heat. Maybe awnings work really good?

You think Florida is worst? We’re back in Florida after 10 years Panama and South America before that and I can tell you Florida is fresh and fruity compared what they throw your way in June there!

awnings are no good for my situation. I don’t know about your situation. That’s different.

my entire deck house is a hard top awning once I put the panels in place.

you are just mixing up a lot of different variables that I have here. You don’t have a good picture of the situation. you are only picturing your own boat. That’s what happens most of the time when people don’t agree on this forum or have a back-and-forth like this.

just like the USB situation. I knew you had a different situation than I did. Everyone else doesn’t experience the same things or have the same requirements. That’s where things go wrong.

One variable you are forgetting about is I had pollution to contend with. That means not breathing it. That means closing up.

Thankfully the pollution is mostly gone today.

I am currently under a hard top awning, enjoying a nice windy day in here.

later, the wind may die, heat may get out of hand, even in the shade. Then I will just turn on the air conditioners since my boat neighbors have left.

I'm also extremely sensitive to heat overload now after the heart issues. It creeps up very quickly. So I can't withstand the same amount of heat other people can anymore.

I have the absolute best possible situation for heat on my boat. There is no better situation for it. It is set up perfectly. nothing to diagnose here.

The only thing that was going on is I was in a very, very small Anchorage with people all around me. And I needed to stay closed up for pollution purposes and run the air conditioning. Unfortunately, I tend to be a good neighbor and a good person so I was trying to just make it through that without making any noise.

[chris.burcher]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned sleeping with a frozen bottle or bladder. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

I was just listening to a podcast or reading a book about how recently we started heating and cooling SPACES instead of OURSELVES. For example, central heat and air in a dirt house.

Apparently, not that long ago we would sleep with bladders or bottles filled with hot water in the winter or ice in the summer. Not sure of the details of how people did this in the past, but certainly you could fill a 2L bottle with water, freeze it or get it close to freezing, wrap it in a towel or some absorbent material so it wouldn't soak you or the bed, and see how it goes. According to the interviewee, bags or bottles would still be cool or warm in the morning due to the insulation of blankets and/or body temperature.

Also apparently, humans did this all over the world for centuries.

Worth a shot, food for thought.

[smj]

Originally Posted by chris.burcher

I'm surprised no one has mentioned sleeping with a frozen bottle or bladder. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised.



I was just listening to a podcast or reading a book about how recently we started heating and cooling SPACES instead of OURSELVES. For example, central heat and air in a dirt house.



Apparently, not that long ago we would sleep with bladders or bottles filled with hot water in the winter or ice in the summer. Not sure of the details of how people did this in the past, but certainly you could fill a 2L bottle with water, freeze it or get it close to freezing, wrap it in a towel or some absorbent material so it wouldn't soak you or the bed, and see how it goes. According to the interviewee, bags or bottles would still be cool or warm in the morning due to the insulation of blankets and/or body temperature.



Also apparently, humans did this all over the world for centuries.



Worth a shot, food for thought.

Basically what the mattress cooler does, circulates chilled water under your body. With the human core temperature at 97-99 degrees even 85 degree water feels cold while laying on it.