KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Natural sunlight is a major driver of the human body clock.
- Unlike many animals, humans don’t hibernate in winter, but it’s common for us to feel more fatigued, sleep more, and even feel unmotivated or “down” relative to how we feel in the warmer, brighter months.
- Shorter, colder winter days can significantly impact human sleep patterns. This is due to the influence of less sunlight on the circadian rhythm and its associated changes to melatonin, activity levels, and triggering the “winter blues”.
- Exposure to morning sunlight, regular exercise, good sleep hygiene, and using the right snoring cures help to facilitate a healthier night’s sleep.
It’s well known that healthy adults ideally need between 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night for peak physical and psychological health and wellbeing. Many factors can impinge upon our ability to sleep well, including snoring and sleep apnea, overuse of electronic devices, and uncomfortably hot summer weather.
You might wonder, “What about winter?”
How do cold weather and fewer hours of daylight influence how much we sleep?
How Does Winter Impact Sleep?
A lot of people find that they feel like they need more sleep during winter. Frankly, it can feel like much more of a challenge to “rise and shine” and emerge from a cosy bed on cold mornings; even more so if it’s early and the sun isn’t fully up yet!
A lot of people generally feel fatigued regardless of how much sleep they get during these colder months. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) survey revealed that a third of US-based adults reported sleeping more in winter; one in ten reported sleeping less. This was the exact reverse of the trend in summer.
Reasons for Sleeping More in Winter
A lot of creatures, including bears, bats, bees, and reptiles, hibernate or brumate (become dormant) in winter. Scientists have come to understand that humans also experience seasonal effects on our activity levels. Cold weather and fewer daylight hours encourage us to feel more inclined to snuggle up, hunker down, and spend more time sleeping.
Feeling the desire to sleep more in winter is driven by the mental and behavioural changes that arise in direct response to the fluctuations in natural light exposure that impact the circadian rhythm.
The Circadian Rhythm in Winter
Biological processes and wake-sleep cues are driven by the circadian rhythm, which itself reacts to natural light exposure. Less intense sunlight (and fewer hours of it) in winter causes a greater volume of melatonin release. This is a hormone that plays a major role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. During winter, it is released earlier in the evening, meaning most people will feel sleepy earlier.
Exposure to natural light doesn’t just influence the amount of sleep we feel that we need, but also its quality. A 2023 study conducted at St Hedwig Hospital in Berlin, Germany, found that patients typically slept an hour longer in winter than they did in summer. They also exhibited 30 minutes more of REM sleep. This dreaming stage of sleep is essential to memory, concentration, mental health and mood regulation, and immunity.
Why Else Do We Want to Sleep More in Winter?
- We’re Cold! Sleeping environment makes a major difference, and a cool, dark bedroom is perfect for sleeping well. Part of this is because a dropping temperature triggers physiological signals in the brain that it’s time to sleep. It also makes it easier to go to sleep at night. This all sounds positive – but it’s not all great news, because these conditions also make it more difficult to wake up bursting with vigour for the day ahead in the morning. A lower-than-usual core body temperature also contributes to feeling sleepy during the day.
- Lower Vitamin D Levels. The body needs sunlight on the skin to synthesise Vitamin D. With less intense sunlight, less time spent outdoors, and being covered up in winter clothing, many people experience lower levels of Vitamin D in the body during winter. This can both affect sleep quality and cause tiredness. (Check with your GP about whether you should take Vitamin D supplements during winter.)
- The Winter Blues. Properly termed Seasonal Affective Disorder, this mental health condition is a mood disorder related to the transition into winter and usually alleviates with the coming of spring. It is a type of “seasonal depression” characterised by lethargy, low mood, lack of motivation, food cravings, and fatigue, and affects a significant number of people in NZ in winter.
7 Tips To Improve Sleep During Winter
- Set a consistent sleep schedule (bedtime and waking time). It needs to suit your schedule (work, school, parenting, social life) and allow for adequate sleep. Regardless of your chronotype, everyone must get enough sleep, so try to go to bed at a time that affords you enough sleep while aligning with the time you need to get up in the morning.
- Create a comfortable bedroom. It should be dark, quiet, and cool, but not uncomfortably cold. Your bed should suit your comfort needs; this requires that you have a supportive but not-too-hard mattress and pillow, and use breathable bed linen made from natural fibres (e.g. brushed cotton flannelette sheets for warmth and cosy comfort).
- Practice sleep hygiene and bedtime rituals to help you wind down and prepare your body and mind for sleep. For example, have a small pre-bedtime warm milk drink (caffeine-free) or a cup of chamomile tea, read a book, listen to relaxing music, take a warm bath, or meditate.
- Don’t consume caffeine (coffee, black tea, matcha, a lot of dark chocolate, or cola) after 4 pm, and don’t drink alcohol in excess or too close to bedtime. Stop smoking and vaping. Say no to sedative medications unless medically prescribed.
- Avoid using screens and electronics within at least an hour of sleep time. This includes computers, handheld gaming devices, iPads, and smartphones. Don’t fall into the trap of having a TV in your bedroom. Don’t scroll social media or play digital games in bed. If you read e-books, choose one that is not backlit and does not emit blue light.
- Natural sunlight exposure as early in the day after you wake up is important. Opening the blinds/shutters/curtains in your bedroom promptly once your alarm goes off to let in the daylight, and try to have your morning coffee or breakfast in a sunny spot, either indoors by a window or outside.
- Getting regular exercise is also important, whenever it’s your ideal time of the day to do so. Even just going for a 20-minute walk several days a week helps; you just need to get your body moving.
Sleep Healthier All Year with ApneaRx
Snoring and sleep apnea are major sleep disruptors and very unhealthy for your mind and body. By reducing or eliminating snoring and treating the symptoms of sleep apnea for a healthier night’s sleep, you are almost guaranteed to feel significantly better during the daytime.
ApneaRx snoring treatment is arguably the most convenient, cost-efficient, and effective of snoring cures in NZ. It is also approved in New Zealand as a sleep apnea device, as it treats the symptoms associated with mild to moderate sleep apnea.
Washable, budget-friendly, reusable, and unintrusive, ApneaRx is worn in the mouth while you sleep. It gently moves the lower jaw slightly forward (you set it to suit your needs and comfort); this helps to open the airways. It enables smoother breathing and stops or reduces the airway vibrations that cause snoring.
