6 Tips to Get Better Sleep During Winter
As the winter chill knocks in, the nights are getting longer, and the air becomes crisper. It often affects our sleep patterns. A drastic drop in temperatures coupled with shortened...
As the winter chill knocks in, the nights are getting longer, and the air becomes crisper. It often affects our sleep patterns. A drastic drop in temperatures coupled with shortened daylight hours indeed makes it a bit challenging to get a good night's sleep in these winter months. Yet, quality sleep is very important in maintaining energy, mood, and health at large. Here are six tips approved by experts to help you catch deeper slumber during the winter months.
1. Make Your Bedroom a Cozy Sleep Space
Perhaps the most obvious change you can make to enhance your quality of sleep this winter is ensuring that your bedroom is warm and cozy. Cold air from outside makes it easy for your room to cool quickly, making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. There are a few things you can do here:
Use a heated blanket or electric mattress pad: These provide the required warmth and can help keep the right temperature without having to crank up your heating system.
Layer your bedding: Invest in flannel sheets, which are warmer than cotton, and consider heavier blankets, duvets, or comforters for layering to trap heat. A cozy-looking bed will signal your body it's bedtime.
2. Optimize Your Light Exposure
Winter, with less sunlight exposure, could disturb your circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm refers to the natural process by which your body functions in a sleep-wake cycle. It is disrupted when your body lacks daylight exposure.
How to Optimize Light Exposure
Exposure to natural sunlight in the morning: Spend a bit of your day outside in daylight or sit next to windows to get a little natural light. This can help your body keep track of the sun's rhythm and thus nap better.
Make use of light therapy: If you are not getting sufficient sunlight during wintertime, then light therapy could be useful to you. The light therapy box simulates natural sunlight, and it is especially helpful for people diagnosed with SAD or those who spend most of their time indoors.
3. Regular Sleep Schedule
It is hard to resist the urge to stay up late in the cold weather, especially on the weekends. However, such inconsistency in sleep schedule can disrupt your body's internal clock, making it harder to sleep at all.
Follow these tips for a consistent slumber schedule:
Establish a bedtime and wake-up time: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps body maintain its natural rhythm, so it becomes easy to sleep in and wake up.
Avoid napping too close to bedtime: Naps can be rejuvenating, but longer naps in the afternoon can interfere with your nighttime sleep. If you want to take a nap, try to time it to 20–30 minutes earlier in the day.
4. Maintain an active routine during the day
Many people retire indoors in the winter season. But the average person only has a chance of better sleeping during the night if he remains active all through the day. Exercise regulates one's body sleep patterns and encourages deeper, more restorative slumber.
Implement the following ideas to stay active during winter:
Exercising outdoors: Even though it is cold, some outdoor activities such as brisk walks, hiking, and skiing can expose you to natural light that may trigger the production of hormones your body needs for sleep.
Indoor exercises: In case, you prefer staying indoors, you can engage in yoga and Pilates or strength training that keep your body moving without requiring much space or a lot of equipment.
Avoid intense exercise before bedtime: Exercise is good for falling asleep, but heavy exercise close to bedtime can have an adverse impact on the body, making it harder to fall asleep. Finish any strenuous exercise at least three hours before bedtime.
5. Mind What You Eat and Drink
What you consume in your hours before bed matters much in respect to a good night's slumber. Indulging in heavier meals, caffeine, or sugary treats impacts your sleep badly during the winter months.
Take These Tips Seriously For Better Sleep Hygiene:
Limit your consumption of caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant and can cause interference with sleep, so it is best to avoid coffee, tea, and chocolates after 2-3 PM.
Try not to eat a heavy meal at night: This can lead to discomfort and indigestion. In case you feel hungry at night, eat light, like a small serving of yogurt or a handful of nuts.
Drink warm liquids: Herbal tea (chamomile or peppermint) or warm milk can be a great sleep inducer. Just avoid drinking too much liquid before bedtime to avoid possible disruption of your sleep with trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
6. Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Winter seasons come with shorter days and colder temperatures, which might increase feelings of loneliness or even stress. These can make it hard to fall asleep at night. Lowering levels of stress and anxiety is an important factor that might improve the quality of sleep. Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, or even progressive muscle relaxation, keep your mind and body calm.
Winter can be quite a challenge in terms of getting good quality sleep. With the right approaches, however, it may not look as challenging as it used to be. A cozy environment, optimized light exposure, adherence to a fixed schedule, staying active, proper minding of diet, and managing stress can ensure improved sleeping experience during the cold seasons. With these tips, you will wake up refreshed and ready to tackle whatever winter might send your way.