If you’ve ever thought to yourself that you find it easier to sleep in some seasons than others, you’re not imagining things. Sleep is impacted by any number of factors, one of them being meteorological changes.
Here are some reasons your sleep patterns change with the seasons, as well as some strategies to get restful sleep all year round.
How Each Season Affects Your Sleep Patterns
From the cold winter months to the humid summers, here’s how each season might impact your quality of sleep:
Spring
When you think about seasonal changes and how they affect your body, your first thought might be seasonal allergies. Spring is notorious for bringing on allergens such as tree and grass pollen, both of which can drastically alter how you breathe.
As a result, you may have trouble sleeping due to congestion, sinus infections, and sneezing. Unfortunately, the discomfort caused by seasonal allergies is enough to keep anyone up at night.
Summer
While you might enjoy the longer hours of summer, the additional hours of daylight make the evening less relaxing. It’s more of a subconscious effect on your mind, where your body thinks that there’s still more to do for the day, even though it’s late in the afternoon and early evening. After all, your body relies on sunlight to tell whether it’s night or day, which affects your sleep cues.
If you live in a place that gets hot in the summer, that can also impact your sleep. If your bedroom is not temperature-controlled, you might find yourself waking up hot and sweaty throughout the night.
Fall
Just as your body has gotten used to the long days of summer, these extra hours of daylight start to decrease in the fall, making many people feel groggy and sluggish throughout the day. This can throw off your circadian rhythm after a summertime full of bright daylight.
And like spring, there are also lots of allergens floating around in the fall. As a result, you may experience sleep problems from seasonal allergies, decreased daylight, or both.
Winter
Many regions experience significantly smaller windows of daylight during the winter. Along with causing problems like seasonal depression, this further decreased daylight can throw off your sleep schedule even more.
With shorter daylight hours, your body may become confused and feel tired most of the day. This can lead to problems falling asleep and staying asleep during the night.
How to Improve Your Sleep During Each Season
Here’s the good news: Restful sleep is possible during any season of the year, even in the face of seasonal annoyances like reduced daylight or allergens. Here are a few strategies that will help keep your body in tune with your natural sleep cues and promote restful sleep cycles.
- Use a Seasonal Light: During seasons with fewer daylight hours, try using a seasonal lamp. These useful light sources emit the same wavelengths of light as the sun without causing skin damage. Using a seasonal light can remind your body when it is time to feel alert and awake, better regulating your circadian rhythm and helping you get better sleep at night.
- Use Blackout Curtains During Summer: If you find yourself tossing and turning each night in the summer, try putting up blackout curtains. These block sunlight from coming through your windows in the late evening, which will help your body release melatonin for restful sleep.
- Make Your Bedroom Comfortable: Feeling too hot or too cold can impact your quality of sleep, so keep your sleeping space at a comfortable temperature throughout the year to maximize restful sleep. Consider using a fan, cooler air conditioning, and breathable sheets in the summer. During the colder months, regulate the heat in your house and use warm bedding to stay comfortable all night long.
Control Your Environment to Get Better Sleep
There’s no reason to continue to suffer poor sleep as the seasons change around you. You can’t control the weather, but you can control your home, mitigate the effects of the seasons, and get better sleep.