As the winter approaches, you may experience changes in your quality of sleep and your sleep routine. The combination of shorter days, colder temperatures, and the transition into daylight saving time can alter your body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm.
Rosie Osmun, Certified Sleep Science Coach from Amerisleep has shared how the winter months affect your sleep routine and some tips for ensuring a good night’s sleep throughout the season.
The effect of daylight saving time
While adjusting the time by one hour may not seem drastic, this transition interferes with your circadian rhythms. These are 24-hour cycles that regulate sleep and other vital bodily functions, such as appetite and mood, and are largely dependent on light exposure.
The difference in hours disrupts your sleep-wake cycle by changing the hours you are exposed to natural light. This may reduce your ability to feel energised in the morning and sleepy at night.
The impact of reduced daylight exposure
When the shorter days kick in following daylight saving time, you may start your day before sunrise and then finish work when it is dark outside.
This change in daylight exposure reduces your vitamin D levels, which are important for serotonin production and, consequently, your sleep-wake cycles. This reduced intake can lead to daytime fatigue, and even feelings of depression, which are linked to the condition seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Consider investing in a sunrise alarm clock if you struggle to wake up in the dark mornings. These clocks wake you up naturally by simulating a natural sunrise, gently waking you up rather than with a sudden alarm sound. Many sunrise alarms also have a sundown setting that gradually dims before bedtime and removes blue wavelengths that keep you awake.
Cold weather and sleep quality
Temperature plays a vital role in the onset of sleep and circadian rhythms. As your body prepares to relax and sleep, your internal temperature dips slightly and stays lower until a few hours before you wake up.
The ideal room temperature for good quality sleep is between 60 and 70 degrees, meaning that the cooler temperatures of winter support the body’s natural deep sleep process.
Therefore, instead of heating your bedroom up for long hours in the winter, you can enhance the temperature drop effect. This can be done by taking a warm bath one or two hours before bed, removing extra layers from the day or cuddling for a few minutes before sleeping in a cool bed.
Colds and flu
The winter always brings increases in colds and flu, which can make sleep incredibly uncomfortable through snoring, coughing, and elevated body temperatures.
Even medicines can impact deep sleep cycles, with drugs such as pseudoephedrine and diphenhydramine, which list sleep problems in their side effects. Even some cough syrups contain alcohol, which can impair deep sleep cycles.
Always check the ingredients of medicines and cough syrups to understand their potential side effects and how they may fit into your sleep-wake cycle.
Rosie Osmun, Certified Sleep Science Coach at Amerisleep, comments:
Next time you find yourself feeling fatigued on short winter days, it is important to work with factors you can control. Stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule to help support your natural circadian rhythms, ensure your bedding is comfortable, and keep your bedroom at the ideal temperature.
Rosie Osmun, Certified Sleep Science Coach at Amerisleep
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
