Cold feet: could putting your socks in the fridge help you through the heatwave? | Sleep

Name: Cold feet.

Age: No, wait, I know this. Late 90s I think, so about 31? No, because this isn’t to do with Cold Feet, the TV comedy drama about middle-class couples living in Manchester. We’re talking lower-case cold feet.

As in last-minute hesitation, likely caused by fear or second thoughts, before a major life event, such as your own wedding? Not even. Think more literally: feet that are cold.

Got it, lower case, lower temperature. And why are they cold? Because you’ve put socks on them.

But I tend to put socks on to keep them warm. These socks have been in the fridge.

What? Why? It’s a good idea.

Says who? It’s a tip from the Red Cross for how to keep cool at night during very hot weather. “Put a pair of socks in the fridge during the day and slip them on your feet before getting into bed.”

Any truth in it? Research has shown that putting your feet in cold water is a way of reducing your core temperature. So cooling your feet is a good way of cooling your whole body.

I don’t know … Do socks even belong in the fridge? It could get messy. There’s always the freezer. Dr Allie Hare, president of the British Sleep Society, recommends “putting a pair of lightly damp socks in the freezer about 10 minutes before you go to bed”.

I haven’t cleaned my freezer for a decade, though. I’m beginning to change my mind about the whole idea. Getting idiomatic cold feet? Don’t worry, the Red Cross has other tips for how to keep cool at night in a heatwave.

Go on. Sleep on the lowest level of your home. Heat rises.

Yeah, but I live in a flat. Wear as few clothes as possible. Also turn off electrical devices, which can generate heat.

Like the fridge? No, not that one!

Maybe a couple of cold ones, with the footy? Avoid alcohol – and caffeine – in the evening. Booze affects quality of sleep. Drink water to stay hydrated, and take a lukewarm or cool shower to bring down your body temperature before going to bed.

In my socks? No, that would be weird.

Do say: “I don’t usually sleep naked apart from my socks, but these are desperate times.”

Don’t say: “Why do my feet smell of hummus?”