Is winter affecting the quality of your sleep?

Winter can affect your sleep’s quality, duration, and even habits. While your Sleepyhead comforter does its best to snuggle you to sleep, if your sleeping patterns have changed, here’s why and what you can do about it.

Reason: You’re getting less light

Sunlight determines our body clock through the suppression of melatonin production, and during winters, we get less light. Lack of sunlight is also associated with SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, which affects sleep quality. We’re all familiar with insomnia, where one has difficulty getting to sleep, but some may also experience hypersomnia, where one wants to keep sleeping

Solution: Make it a point to soak in some sun during the mornings to set your body clock and avoid bright light at night.

Reason: Your diet and eating habits have changed

Indian wisdom has long held the need to eat seasonally. Today, depending on work and other factors, we might differently in winter – either more amounts, more frequently, or no change at all. It’s super tempting to load up on carbs and sugary food but all of these can affect the quality, duration, and time of sleep

Solution: Try to eat seasonal veggies, eat lighter, and switch things around till you find a daily food intake that works for you. Include foods with tryptophan (e.g., banana) at night to help you sleep better.

Reason: Your physical activity is limited

We sleep better when we are tired, after a day full of activity and productivity. With lack of sunlight and dropping temperatures, our physical activity is affected and thus our sleep.

Solution: Make sure to exercise even in a modified form, or even take a walk at lunch, thereby getting your sunlight quota in as well.

Reason: You may be more anxious

Worried about another year ending? Your perception of how you’ve done this year? The holidays and the worrisome “What’s your NYE plan?” questions? Anxiety has an adverse effect on sleep quality.

Solution: Experiment with deep breathing just before sleeping, and even through the day. In 2020, everyone’s plans are cancelled, so rest easy and chill.

Reason: You’re too warm

The body’s internal temperature drops as it readies for sleep. When it’s cold outside, we tend to pile on heavy blankets, escalating our body temperature and not allowing us to sleep

Solution: Add on layers only if you need them. Start with a light comforter (like ours!) and then add on one more, only if necessary, according to the weather

Reason: You’re napping too much or sleeping in

In winter, we feel tempted to nap or sleep later in the mornings, grabbing that extra bit of comfort. But this can up-end your sleep cycle in a big way. There’s no biological need for more sleep.

Solution: Curl up, but after coffee. Try not to grab any zzzs during the day, and focus on reading or even taking a walk, and you’ll see an instant uptick in the quality of your sleep at night