It’s normal to technically “wake up” as many as 20 times a night ― but you shouldn’t notice, or remember, most of those mini-rises.
If you find yourself getting up more than once in the middle of the night, especially if you struggle to get back to sleep, you might have learned to hate that early-morning jolt.
But if you’ve noticed they’ve become more common over the past few weeks and that your overall sleep quality has tanked in the colder months, you may not be alone.
You might just be showing signs of something called “winter insomnia” (oh, good).
What’s winter insomnia?
It’s a bit like the sleep equivalent of seasonal affective disorder, which, by the way, also affects your sleep.
It’s a seasonal disruption to your sleep routine that can be severe enough to regularly interfere with your day-to-day life.
Speaking to Bustle, Dr. Lizzie Benge, a sleep medicine physician at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, said: “Shorter daylight hours and reduced sunlight disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep-wake cycles, making it harder to maintain healthy sleep patterns.”
It can delay your bedtime, make it harder to get up in the morning, or ― everyone’s favourite ― make you wake up in the middle of the night.
Health clarifies that the condition isn’t an official term, but points out that some lifestyle changes (like exercising less in winter, staying inside more, and even catching colds) can lead to far worse kip.
A Japanese study looking into seasonal sleep changes noticed that worsening winter sleep seems to be felt more often among middle-aged and younger adults.
How can I get rid of winter insomnia?
Going outside, especially when it’s light out and ideally to do some exercise, can really help your body to align more with the time.
Morning light seems to be uniquely beneficial.
Then, there’s all the boring stuff ― staying active, not eating too close to bedtime, limiting your midday naps, and sticking to a bedtime and wake-up time even on the weekends, can all help.
The NHS says you should see a doctor about sleep issues if:
- changing your sleeping habits has not helped your insomnia
- you’ve had trouble sleeping for months
- your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope.