🍂 Autumn Daylight Saving Time is just a one-hour time change, but it can mess up your entire sleep schedule for the week. Sometimes, that lingering fatigue and ‘run-down’ feeling from the time change can last months.
Meanwhile, a pivotal study from 2023 suggests something bigger: we might actually need more sleep in winter. 💤❄️
“Seasonality is ubiquitous in any living being on this planet,” says study author Dr. Dieter Kunz from the Clinic for Sleep & Chronomedicine in Germany, in a recent BBC article.
That means looking at how seasonal shifts impact sleep. Learning the science of shifting sleep patterns—and how to work with the seasons—can improve our sleep quality and overall health all season long.
Great news! Once winter is over, it’s The Livelong Women’s Health Summit.
Our two-day event features 75 speakers, researchers, and thought leaders who will dive into hormones, metabolism, sleep, and the real science of aging well. Get 50% off early-bird tickets with code ERIN.
Quick Poll
Are you naturally a night owl or morning lark?
Sleep is important because it turns on the body’s repair mechanisms 🔧. That includes regulating growth hormones, cleaning toxins from the brain—toxins that are linked to Alzheimer’s—and helping us develop more stress resilience.
Yet the amount of sleep we need doesn’t change with the seasons, says Dr. Raj Dasgupta of Huntington Memorial Hospital in an interview with CNN.
☀️ “Whether we’re night owls or morning larks, our body clocks are set by the sun,” writes Frontiers’ Angharad Brewer Gillham.
When we roll the clocks back, though, our sleep tends to change. A 2023 study of nearly 200 adults with sleep disorders found that people slept one hour longer in winter.
Other data backs this up: 34% of Americans say they sleep more in the winter, and Oura ring users log about 10 more minutes of sleep in the winter.
The more interesting part is that adults spent 30 more minutes in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is important for “memory, concentration, mood regulation, and immune function,” Dasgupta says. 👁️🧠
What does this mean? While sleep needs are consistent, our sleep patterns may change…🌙🔄
Why does winter change sleep?
One theory is that our bodies overcompensate for the reduced daylight by staying in REM sleep longer, says sleep specialist Dr. Joshua Tal, a New York City-based clinical psychologist, in CNN.
But what is driving sleep changes? Three environmental and behavioral factors might explain:
Light
Temperature
Air Quality
☀️ Light
Light is the biggest regulator of our biological clock (circadian rhythm).
Simply put: Light = awake. Dark = asleep. In winter, earlier darkness triggers earlier melatonin release, and that makes us feel sleepy sooner. It may keep us asleep for longer, too.
Less sunlight is also tied to the social jet lag theory. 😵💫 If our circadian rhythm is used to a late-night summer social calendar, adjusting your sleep schedule can be harder, and it breeds a population of people who feel tired and wired.
Vitamin D stores also drop. ☁️ The key nutrient found in sunlight is tied to mood, energy, and sleep quality, and most people become deficient in winter. This can be linked to insomnia and sleep disturbances.
🌡️ Temperature
Cold stimulates the metabolism, increasing energy needs and making us feel tired faster.
More than this, cooler temperatures also trigger melatonin production, helping us get to sleep, writes CNET.
🏠 Air quality
Insulating our homes against blustery weather feels cozy, but shutting windows and doors traps stale air. This raises indoor CO2 levels, which can disturb sleep, especially in older adults, according to a study.
“The duration and percentage of deep and REM sleep decreased with the increasing CO2 concentration,” write the study authors.
Dry indoor air adds to the problem, with Cleveland Clinic writing that it dehydrates you overnight and is linked to asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis.
The healthy aging imperative
Ironically, we become less resilient to seasonal changes as we age.
So if you’re thinking, ‘Wait, I feel like I don’t sleep as well in the winter!’ it’s not uncommon.
Our circadian rhythm can’t always keep up with seasonal changes, and maybe it’s no surprise that insomnia diagnoses peak toward the end of the year, according to Frontiers. 📈🌘
Modern technology doesn’t help. “As we move into darker evenings, the temptation to spend more time scrolling or streaming can throw off your internal clock,” says Dr. Babak Ashrafi of Superdrug Online Doctor in The Independent.
But every additional hour of screen time at night increases the risk of insomnia by 59%, according to JAMA.
Add in the holidays and fewer workouts, and both sleep and health can slip.
To promote healthy aging this winter, it’s important to cultivate natural shifts.
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🌿 Solutions—Sleep with the season
Whether or not we need more sleep, we can still work with the body's winter rhythms to get better rest.
🌞 Tip 1: Morning light therapy
Natural light: When you wake up, prioritize 10-30 minutes of outdoor light, even on cloudy days.
Light box: If it’s still dark, use a 10,000-lux light therapy box for the same time. It anchors your circadian rhythm and prevents a melatonin “hangover.”
⏰ Tip 2: Sleep timing
Consistency: A steady wake-up schedule stabilizes your biological clock.
Go to bed earlier: Sync your sleep with the shorter days to improve sleep quality, mood, and energy.
🌬️ Tip 3: Reframe your bedroom environment
Air quality: Open a window or run an air purifier.
Humidity: Use a humidifier with indoor heating. Aim for 40-60% humidity.
Bedroom Temperature: 65-68°F is cool enough to promote deep sleep.
📱Tip 4: Screen discipline
Shut it down: Turn off screens at least one hour before bed.
Blue light blockers: Fights melatonin-suppressing blue light from smartphones.
Environment: Blackout shades strengthen nighttime cues for deep sleep.
🌗 The big takeaway: Work with the seasons
As we move into winter, there’s an opportunity to optimize sleep and wake up feeling more rested, energetic, and resilient. ⚡💪
With external factors like Daylight Saving, darker days, and social rhythms impacting our internal environment, experts say workplaces and schools should also align schedules to support natural biological rhythms.
Until then, focus on light exposure, bedtime, and sleep-friendly environments to stay in sync with the seasons. 🌞➡️
PSA!! We write about four ways to reset your biological clock here.
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Thanks for reading!
The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
