Do you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep in the winter? You’re not the only one, according to a recent sleep survey, 61% of Americans suffer the same way! While the cooler weather and longer nights seem perfect for a good night’s rest, there are a couple of reasons you might be experiencing trouble sleeping.
For starters, the air is drier in the winter, and if you live in a colder country, chances are the frosty temperature might be interfering with your eight hours of rest. Everything from your mattress size to the diet you eat can help your night’s sleep, especially during the winter. Here are some of our to combat trouble sleeping and cozy up comfier than ever this holiday season:
Why You Might Have Trouble Sleeping In The Winter
Colder external temperatures can have a direct impact on the quality and quantity of our sleep. When you have your radiator on throughout the night, you’ll find that the dry air might lead to increased irritation in your nose and throat, making you a lot more likely to wake throughout the night and have an interrupted sleep cycle.
Most sleep experts recommend a temperature between 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. You might find yourself increasing the thermostat of your room to counter how cold it is, but this might result in your overheating when it’s time to actually sleep. Our bodies naturally drop in core temperature every night and keeping things overly warm can interfere with this process, leaving us more susceptible to waking up through the night.
Oversleeping Through The Winter
Trouble sleeping doesn’t just present itself in the form of insomnia but also oversleeping. Making sure you’re exposing yourself to light in the morning and doing everything you can to regulate your body clock is going to be integral as you try to maintain a good night’s sleep.
When you’re trying to maintain your circadian rhythm, it’s important to have a set time every day that you go to sleep and wake up in the morning. Incorporating circadian lighting design into your home can also be beneficial. During the winter, your body might be producing different amounts of melatonin, thanks to shorter days and longer periods of darkness. Your trouble sleeping might be originating from here, so working out whether this is indeed the case will help.
Finding The Perfect Set-Up For A Good Night’s Sleep
When you’re trying to combat trouble sleeping, ensuring you have the best set-up for a good night’s sleep means ensuring you have everything from the best mattress size to the right sleep accessories.
Finding the right mattress size for your bedroom requires a few different factors of consideration. The perfect mattress size is going to make an allowance of at least two inches between the bed and its surroundings, leaving the space feeling more open. Too often, we assume mattress size is directly proportional to comfort, but this is far from the case.
Mattress sizes that are larger are comfortable, but only if you have space. If you have a smaller size room, you’re much better off with a smaller mattress size, depending on the number of people sharing the bed, and what it needs to be used for.
For instance, if you have trouble sleeping on your current mattress size, that might be some indicator that you need to change the size of your bed. Once you’ve found the right mattress size for your space, it’s time to take other considerations into account, including the type of mattress you want to invest in.
Typically, the best mattresses are going to have temperature regulation properties that make getting a cozy night’s sleep pretty straightforward. Memory foam mattresses make a versatile choice if you’re on the lookout for something that balances both comfort and support well through the night.
Healthy Sleep Hygiene Tips For The Winter
When you’re trying to get a better night’s sleep for the winter, then it’s important to consider how you’re going to improve your sleep hygiene. Building these habits and making them a daily practice can make all the difference between being sleep deprived and getting eight hours of rest each night.
There are a few ways you can ensure you’re doing everything you can to protect your sleep cycle.
This includes:
- Get Regular Exercise. Engaging in some kind of physical activity every day will help reduce that early evening fatigue while improving your sleep at the same time.
- Engage In A Calming Activity Before Bed. If you’re prone to bouts of sleep anxiety before going to bed, the best way to help yourself is to find a relaxing activity to engage in right before going to sleep. This could be anything from drinking your favorite cup of herbal tea to getting started with a guided sleep meditation practice.
- Keeping A Healthy Diet. What you’re eating has a direct impact on the way you rest through the night. Avoid the temptation to be overly reliant on heavy starches, and rely on fresher veggies, fruits, and hearty stews for a more nourishing diet.
- Exposing Yourself To Sunlight. In the wintertime, when there’s less sunlight during the day, it’s especially important to be able to expose yourself to natural light for as long as you can. This is going to help regulate your sleep cycle, and keep you synced up with a good night’s sleep.
Whether it’s finding the best mattress size for your sleep, or simply adjusting your diet so you’re eating more whole, nourishing foods, figuring out how you’re going to be able to get a good night’s sleep can really help with powering through the winter.
A good night’s sleep is especially important during this time since we’re in extra need of proper rest and increased energy levels to get through the day. With the holiday season right around the corner, the time’s going to pass quicker than you realize- but with the right sleep hygiene habits, the best sleep set up for your space, and sleep accessories that will keep you warm and cozy through the night, you’ll be sleeping better than ever in no time.
