Mum’s free heatwave hack serving to her household sleep by way of scorching nights

Mum-of-three Laura Stenton-Slater says she’s found a free bedtime trick that’s helps her family sleep through the heatwave – and it involves a common bathroom item most people already have

View 6 Images

A mum says a free and simple trick is helping her family sleep through the heatwave. Laura Stenton-Slater swears by the budget-friendly hack, claiming it helps cool her body down faster than fans and has transformed bedtime for her and her children.

The 37-year-old soaks flannels in cold water and puts them in the freezer an hour before bedtime. Once frozen, the mum-of-three pops them next to her and her children’s beds so they can reach for them if they wake up hot and place them on their necks or stomach, instantly cooling them down.

“I tend to prepare them in advance whenever hot weather is forecast,” Laura, from Sheffield, said.

She continued: “The frozen flannels stay really cold initially and then gradually thaw. Even after they’ve melted, they remain pleasantly cool for quite a while.

“I keep them on a tray next to the bed, so any water is contained as they thaw. As long as you remember to wring them out before freezing them, they work brilliantly and don’t make a mess.

“The difference to our sleep is huge. When I’m overheated or recovering from long runs, I can spend hours tossing and turning trying to get comfortable.

“The cold flannels help lower my body temperature and ease muscle soreness at the same time, which means I can relax and fall asleep much more quickly. During heatwaves they’ve genuinely transformed bedtime for both me and my children.”

Laura, who works as head of bid management, says that she’d spend hours tossing and turning in the heat before she discovered the hack. She said: “Hot weather affects my sleep quite a lot.

“Once I feel overheated, I find it difficult to switch off and get comfortable. The combination of feeling too warm and not being able to cool down quickly can lead to a very restless night.

“I definitely struggle during heatwaves, and having children means you’re also trying to help them stay comfortable enough to sleep. Once I discovered how well the frozen flannels worked, the whole family started using them.

“Friends and relatives who’ve heard about the idea have also tried it themselves, particularly during hotter spells. Like most people, I’ve tried fans, opening windows and cooling the room down before bed.

“Some methods help, but they don’t always solve the problem completely. I know a lot of people also struggle to sleep with the constant noise of a fan running all night.

“The frozen flannels are simple, inexpensive and effective because they cool you directly rather than trying to cool the entire room. The unusual trick began while Laura was training for the London Marathon in 2026, which she completed wearing wellies to raise money for the charity Unique, raising more than £4,200 in the process.

Laura said: “It actually started as a recovery method rather than a cooling hack. During marathon training, I was struggling with sore legs after long runs, and I found that placing cold, wet flannels on the affected muscles helped reduce the discomfort and allowed me to get to sleep more easily.

“After the London Marathon, when the UK experienced another heatwave, I remembered how effective the cold flannels had been. One particularly hot night I was struggling to sleep and my children were too.

“I decided to wet a batch of flannels and put them in the freezer because I thought they’d stay colder for longer than if I simply used them straight from the tap. It worked so well that it’s become our go-to heatwave sleep hack ever since.”

Since sharing the idea on her TikTok page @‌lauramuddysolesclub, she has been inundated with positive feedback. Laura added: “Most people are surprised by how simple it is.

“I’ve had lots of positive reactions from people saying they can’t believe they hadn’t thought of it before. Many people have said they’re going to try it themselves, especially parents looking for ways to help children sleep during hot weather.

“I think people appreciate that it’s such an easy, low-cost solution that doesn’t require buying any special equipment.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.