When summer hits full stride … most of us expect to feel more energized & motivated to keep working towards our fitness goals.
The sun’s out, the days are longer, there’s tons of fun events & get-togethers … and you’d think staying on track would be easier. But more often than not, health & fitness actually gets much harder for most people during the summer months … it’s something I even notice with my own personal fitness.
And there’s one specific thing that many people overlook in their training, fitness and recovery routines this time of year (I’ve overlooked it for years):
The heat is wrecking your sleep—and your results.
Yep … you read that right.
If you’ve been tossing and turning more lately, waking up groggy, or noticing extra fatigue during workouts, or just feeling worn out during a normal day … it’s not just in your head. It’s likely tied to one of the most under appreciated recovery factors: temperature.
So, now that I probably have your attention … let’s break down how hot, muggy nights can throw off your recovery, elevate stress levels, and ultimately hold you back from performing at your best—and what you can do to fix it.
Heat, Cortisol, and Crummy Sleep:
Your body thrives on deep, restorative sleep to repair muscle, balance hormones, and recover between workouts. But that process relies heavily on core body temperature dropping at night … that core body temperature dropping is what actually helps signal to your body to begin the recovery & repair process.
When your environment stays hot and humid, it becomes harder for your body to cool down naturally, which leads to:
• Interrupted deep sleep (less REM + slow-wave sleep)
• Increased cortisol (your primary stress hormone) can lead to excess body fat storage)
• Heart rate staying elevated overnight (not ideal for recovery & relaxation)
• Slower muscle recovery (increased next-day soreness & fatigue)
Basically, summer nights that feel like a sauna leave your body in a slightly stressed state all night long—even if you don’t fully wake up. Over time, that adds up to stalled progress, lower motivation, and a higher risk of burnout.
Nighttime Recovery Hacks for Hot Summer Sleep:
The goal isn’t just to stay cool—it’s to give your body the tools it needs to shift into a true recovery state each night.
Here’s what you can do to help:
1. Support Your Natural Sleep Rhythm + Practice Good “Sleep Hygiene”
Cooling down the room is priority #1 (set your thermostat to 65–67°F if possible and use a fan or cooling sheets). This already helps prime the body to begin its own natural “cool down” methods & puts yourself in a much better position to recover properly.
Also, do your best to remove screen time and any other bright lights from your direct line of site about an hour or 2 before you plan on going to bed. I know how tough this can be personally … but it makes a huge difference in helping your body naturally drift into a better recovery state.
2. Hydrate Strategically
It’s not just about drinking more water—sweating more during the summer means you’re losing key electrolytes like magnesium, sodium, and potassium. These directly impact how well your body sleeps, recovers … and performs.
A proper balance of hydration & electrolytes is key here. It’s not just more water; it’s not just more electrolytes … it’s making sure you have enough of both in your system to contribute to proper hydration. This isn’t just important during activity or exercise … it’s crucial to proper recovery & sleep as well.
You should be consuming anywhere from 100-120oz of water per day (sometimes more if spending periods of time outside) … and you should make sure there’s a proper balance of electrolytes along with that to maximize hydration, recovery, performance and sleep.
3. Use Supplements to Lower Stress + Hydrate
When your body’s under heat stress, cortisol tends to stay elevated—especially if your sleep is disrupted. It’s a bad mix if you working towards goals like building muscle & burning body fat (which is always what I’m working on more or less … you can probably relate).
When stress levels and cortisol stay elevated … you’re putting your body in a position to store more body fat. Elevated cortisol levels can also eat away at muscle tissue. Not a great situation to be in … but there’s ways to balance & control your stress levels.
Supplementing with adaptogens & other cortisol-reducing ingredients can help regulate your stress response and promote a calm, recovered state. Helping your body relax, shut down, and slip into deeper (and more comfortable) sleep … which then translates to better recovery, increased fat loss, and much easier time holding onto muscle.
You’ll also notice an easier time waking up in the morning, feeling more refreshed … and just ready to attack the day. I bet you’ve had nights where you felt like you slept plenty of hours but still feel groggy for half the day (if not longer) … and that’s typically cortisol preventing you from getting deeper, REM sleep.
In these products, look for ingredients like:
• GABA
• Ashwagandha
• L-theanine
• Valerian Root
• 5 HTP
…there’re even products (typically known as cortisol reduction agents) that encompass multiple of these ingredients & are designed specifically to lower stress levels at nighttime.
They’re a true game changer if looking to maximize recovery, fight off “heat stress” … and make sure you’re in the best possible position to see results.
Hydration supplements can also be a huge key here as well. The vast majority of us don’t have the proper balance of electrolytes we need to feel our best morning & night … particularly during the hot summer months.
Hydration supplements that pack in sodium, magnesium, & potassium can be a huge benefit. Again, this becomes even more important if you train outside or even just spend extended periods of time outside during the summer.
Hydration supplements can help replace the electrolytes you lose in sweat … helping maintain the proper balance you need to keep you feeling your best.
Summer Recovery Requires a Strategy
Just like you plan your workouts and nutrition, your summer recovery deserves intentional effort—especially in the hot summer months.
By controlling your environment, dialing in your supplements, and giving your body the tools to manage heat-related stress … you’ll wake up feeling ready to attack the day, instead of feeling drained.
How We Can Help
Just stop by your local Supplement Superstores and talk to our Sports Nutrition Specialists about sleep support, adaptogens, and nighttime recovery supplements that match your goals. We’ll help you dial in a plan that works for your body—and make sure the summer heat never slows you down.
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*This article was written by Andrew Lynn, who has a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. He is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist.