Describe your room. We know it is upstairs. How big? How many rooms? Any vents? How many windows? Is this an apartment? ie can you do modifications? Do you know the humidity level? Is your bedroom exposed to the sun side?

I use to sell insulation. There is some real science to getting a room cooled down. The trick is to move the hot air outside, and move the cool air from another are into yours. Is there a cellar? If you can find a way to vent from the cellar to your room, you will have a natural air conditioner.

The room is about 2 meters by 2 meters,
No door (no i'm not sealed in here, there's a door frame, but no door in it.)
All 4 other rooms upstairs(not including hallway)have 1 window
Semi-detached house
Exposed to sun but keep blinds (single-piece fabric, not plastic) closed most of the time
No vents
No cellar
Don't want modifications
Don't know humidity level. Is there a way to find out, there is a humidity level display on the de-humidifier downstairs, but bring it up here would be a bit tricky.

I've got a window (no 's' at the end, so don't worry;)), but it only opens about 3 inches at the top as a safety feature.

A big part of the problem is that you have only one window and it barely opens, is exposed to the sun, and blocked by a curtain.

If you switch to venetian blinds, you could increase ventilation slightly. If you could open the window a bit more you could install a window fan to vent the warm air.

But without making any modifcations at all, you could open all the windows and doors in all the upstairs rooms. That would let warm air escape and draw cooler air from downstairs.

Or you could try opening all the windows in the house during the night, then closing all windows and blinds during daylight hours to trap the cooler air and block the sun. In some places I've lived this works well, but in others it just makes the house hotter. It depends on the weather, exposure to the sun, insulation, etc..

One thing you can easily do to reduce the heat getting into the room in the first place is string up some heavy duty shade cloth on the outside - covering your window (you get it at plant nurseries or hardware stores) - get the most UV block you can. Closing your blind will reduce a bit of heat getting in, but the problem is - as soon as the sun gets through the glass it's heating air - you need to block it before the glass. I do this every summer on heavily exposed windows.

I don't know if that'll work for Wee_Guy, but I might try that on my house - unless my wife thinks it will be hideous. :)

Honestly Wee_Guy, you're in quite the spot. I think if you want it to cool off in there you're going tp have to make some mods. All the hot air in the house is going up there, and then you have all the hot air riding in from this forum (har har har, finals are over, everything is funny to me :). )

Truly, something big needs to be done. I think the best option is to replace the window so you can open it properly. Though the very best option is a vent in the ceiling with a fan that draws out the hot air. Even if you did get a dehumidifier or a cooler, they'd be fighting a losing battle...

Isn't there anything that i could do to sort this problem without modding the house or spending a fortune? :S :(

An Ionizing fan will not help, infact they are actually bad for you as they increase the ozone levels dangerously in smaller rooms. As for stuffiness issues, If you can decrease the humidity in the room you might be able to aleviate the problem a little bit. Try a de-humidifier. This will not bring the temperature down, but it might make it a little bit easier to handle.

What is bad about ozone? what is ozone? if i got a de-humidifier, themn what would i do, as if that may make it easier to handle, how do i handle it to get rid of it?

The obvious first (and free) step is to open upstairs windows to vent rising warm air, but yours only opens a little. What is keeping it closed? I know some windows have tabs that pop out to limit the opening, but they can be adjusted easily by adults or older children.

What have you tried so far, and has anything made a noticeable difference?

It's not a tab, it cannot be opned any more. I've tried opening all windows upstairs, and running my fan (despite the annoying rattle). But it doesn' tmake much difference. I think i need some thing that 'filters'/'dissolves'/'eats' the stuffiness in the air.

ozone - noun - a colorless unstable toxic gas with a pungent odor and powerful oxidizing properties, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light. It differs from normal oxygen (O 2) in having three atoms in its molecule (O 3).

Thats a problem. I think it would violate fire codes where I live.

If you can't do much to reduce the temperature, you might have to settle for limiting your discomfort.

A dehumidifier will reduce the humidity, making it easier for your body to dissapate heat - sweat doesn't evaporate as easily when it's very humid.

A bowl of ice in front of the fan will feel nice.

Try going to a hardware store and purchasing a 2-3" Styrofoam insulation panel. Put this over your window for a while and see if this knocks down the heat the sun is producing through the glass. If so, you can decorate it to look alike a painting or something for looks. There is another possibility, to hang one of those shade mats that hang from the eaves of the roof. This will shade your window. But it sounds like you would need a ladder to get up there.

A ceiling fan would do wonders--even if you replace an overhead lamb with it, I would consider that. It would provide a good dose of quiet, moving air.

If it is cool at night, you need to find a way to get the outside air in. This will remedy your stuffiness problem, and will help cool the room.

If you're not the home owner, any way to rent a different flat?

Although, I still like my idea about sleeping in the pub. :)

I'm not the home owner, and i can't rent a flat as i am too young.

There's a Tree-House in the garden, i'm sure it's not too hot, but i'm definately nt sleeping in that, next to the Rabbit supplises that we keep in there.

40 degrees celsius? Sheez. That's as hot as my MacBook pro gets under normal use. (And trust me, even that feels like I'm holding fire.)

My prior suggestion of tacking up some shade cloth over your window (on the outside) should only cost you like max £15 and it does make a fair difference over the course of a day.

This was posted on Digg today

Keeping cool when temperatures reach record highs isn’t just about comfort. Dangerously high temperatures can result in heat-related illnesses ranging from heat cramps to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The following tips can help you keep cool all summer long.

1. Alter your pattern of outdoor exercise to take advantage of cooler times (early morning or late evening). If you can’t change the time of your workout, scale it down by doing fewer minutes, walking instead or running, or decreasing your level of exertion.

2. Wear loose-fitting clothing, preferably of a light color.

3. Cotton clothing will keep you cooler than many synthetics.

4. Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face after being outdoors.

5. Fans can help circulate air and make you feel cooler even in an air-conditioned house.

6. Try storing lotions or cosmetic toners in the refrigerator to use on hot, overtired feet.

7. Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you’re ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you’ll have a supply of cold water with you.

8. Take frequent baths or showers with cool or tepid water.

9. Combat dehydration by drinking plenty of water along with sports drinks or other sources of electrolytes.

10. Some people swear by small, portable, battery-powered fans. At an outdoor event I even saw a version that attaches to a water bottle that sprays a cooling mist.

11. I learned this trick from a tennis pro: if you’re wearing a cap or hat, remove it and pour a bit of ice cold water into the hat, then quickly invert it and place on your head.

12. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.

13. Instead of hot foods, try lighter summer fare including frequent small meals or snacks containing cold fruit or low fat dairy products. As an added benefit, you won’t have to cook next to a hot stove.

14. If you don’t have air-conditioning, arrange to spend at least parts of the day in a shopping mall, public library, movie theater, or other public space that is cool. Many cities have cooling centers that are open to the public on sweltering days.

15. Finally, use common sense. If the heat is intolerable, stay indoors when you can and avoid activities in direct sunlight or on hot asphalt surfaces. Pay special attention to the elderly, infants, and anyone with a chronic illness, as they may dehydrate easily and be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Don’t forget that pets also need protection from dehydration and heat-related illnesses too.