Sleep Experts Reveal How the Winter Months Affect Your Sleep Routine

• Winter months disrupt sleep routine due to shorter days, colder temperatures, and the transition to daylight saving time.
• It is essential to maintain a consistent sleep-wake routine during the season to ensure quality sleep.
• Consider controllable factors to enhance your sleep, such as the temperature of your bedroom, your morning alarm, and screen time before bed.

As the winter approaches, you may experience changes in your quality of sleep and your 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

Sunday, November 3rd, marks the end of daylight saving time for most of the United States, where the clocks go back one hour at 2 a.m.

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 energized 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.

Maintain a consistent sleep routine

A consistent routine is essential for high quality sleep across the season, as well as adjusting to daylight saving time. While you may already wake up at the same time every day for work, maintain this time for the weekends too. You should also keep your bedtime regular to help support your natural circadian rhythms.

Be mindful of your caffeine and alcohol intake, as both can interfere with staying asleep. It is recommended that all caffeinated products are eliminated at least eight hours before bed and alcohol at least three hours.

Studies have also shown that two or more hours of screen time in the evening can disrupt the melatonin surge needed to fall asleep. To prevent this, leave your devices at least one hour before bed and try another relaxing activity, such as reading, coloring or taking a bath.

Rosie Osmun, Certified Sleep Science Coach at Amerisleep, adds,

The winter months can bring challenges to our sleep schedule, with shorter daylight hours and potential colds and flu making an impact.

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.

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