The season does not only come with changes in the environment, or changes in your mood. They also come with changes in your sleep. With each new season, the light patterns vary, which can cause your sleep to fluctuate. 

This is because light controls our sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. Therefore, increased light during the spring and summer months can have different effects than decrease light during the fall and winter months. 

Not only does light play a role, but so does temperature. Colder temperatures make you want to sleep longer than warmer temperatures. 

Knowing what these seasonal fluctuations are, and how they can impact your sleep may be useful for helping you manage your sleep. You can make the necessary changes by based on whatever the season is and your sleep requirements. Continue reading to learn more!

Springtime: Allergies and Light

Spring is the time for many changes. The flowers begin to bloom again, and the trees get their leaves. However, this also means the return of allergies. Pollen can reduce sleep quality by making hay fever symptoms worse. Coughing and sneezing at night can create tension during wind-down time, which can lead you to feeling less relaxed. 

In addition to allergies, daylight saving time also changes sleep patterns. On the night of the time change, sleepers lose and hour. It also allows for the daytime light to be longer which can mess up sleep schedules for those who like to go to bed early (i.e. children). It throws off the release of melatonin, which is a major player in the night-wake cycle. 

If you want to achieve good sleep in the springtime, you can anticipate your sleep changes before they get there. Then, the transition is much easier. 

This can be done by making adjustments in the weeks leading up to spring. You can begin going to bed an hour earlier, so when the time change hits, you don't actually lose any time. In order to avoid the allergy issues, washing your sheets is a good way to keep you bed clean and fresh. It's also important to get into the habit of spring cleaning, and removing dust, pollen, and other irritants from around your house. Spending less time outside when there are high pollen counts can also help.

Summertime: Sun

During the summer months, there is so much sun that it can definitely impact our sleeping habits. With northern states, sometimes sundown does not happen until 10pm. This may be much later than bedtime for elderly individuals and children as it is still light outside. 

Not only is it light outside, but it's also warmer. It's more difficult to sleep during warmer nights because the body prefers to be in a cooler environment prior to bed. An increase in temperature does not trigger the release of melatonin. This makes it extremely difficult for the body to go into relaxation mode of all the systems, as is necessary for sleep. 

All of these changes can decrease the amount of slow wave sleep that you have. Slow wave sleep is vital for processing emotion and memories. It's also important for restoration and waking up feeling refreshed. 

In order to plan ahead, try to ensure that your home is prepared for the excess light. This can be achieved through blackout curtains that are only opened in the mornings before it's time to go to bed. Not only can these curtains keep out the light, but they can also keep out the heat. 

Additionally, keeping your room cool is essential. This can be achieved through air conditioning, or using a gel cooling pad on top of your mattress. Fans are also great for moving the air around and keeping you cool enough to sleep. 

You bedding and pajamas need to be made out of 100% cotton so they are breathable in extreme heat. A cold glass of water or a cold compress on your nightstand can also help. 

Fall: Time Change and Darkness 

The fall struggles are similar to the spring struggles because of daylight savings time. The adjustment means that clocks are moved back an hour, which can help some gain an hour of sleep. However, it can still cause a disruption to your circadian rhythm because you start to feel sleepy earlier. 

You can use the same technique as you did in the spring, but this time you will start to go to sleep 30-60 minutes later in the weeks leading up to the time change. 

The other issue with the fall is the shorter days. It begins to get dark very early which can make you sleepy and unmotivated. It's important to avoid oversleeping, as sleeping too long is just as bad as sleeping for a short amount of time. 

Allergens can also be an issue, just like in the spring. Certain ragweed pollen can make it harder for you to go to sleep. Doing some of the same preventive measures as the spring can help you avoid that. 

Aside from these challenges to sleep, some people's sleep may improve in the fall because of the darker skies and cooler temperatures. Sleeping in 60-70 degree rooms is ideal for sleep. 

If you want to get ahead of some of the challenges that come with fall, it's going to be important for you to maximize light exposure. Get outside as soon as you can and let the light hit your eyes. Have an exciting and energizing morning routine that helps you be excited to wake up. 

Winter: No Light 

Winter may be the most challenging season for sleep. This is because the days are so short, often less than 12 hours in the northern states. There is more darkness than sunshine, especially in January and February. 

They also produce mood disturbances, such as seasonal affective disorder, or seasonal depression. The brain struggles to differentiate between day and night because of all the darkness. Therefore, it makes people more prone to having depressed or melancholy moods. Up to 6% of the population can be affected by this in the winter, and can lead to many people sleeping too long. 

In order to get ahead of these wintertime struggles, having healthy habits like bright light therapy is going to be key. Special tools, like bright light boxes or ring lights can help you get the light exposure that you are lacking from from the sun. It's also important to have supplements, like vitamin D, because a shortage in that can make it harder to sleep, and is more common with less light.

If your skin is more likely to be dry, and your lips chapped, then it may be handy to have a humidifier in your room. Petroleum jelly on your lips and sinus washes can help you with any winter dryness you may be experiencing. 

If you are really struggling to manage these sleeping changes, then please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals.

https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/seasonal-change-sleep