I’ve come to understand the term winter insomnia when it was presented in a research study on bears a few years back. The term is not a clinical term, but it casually describes the sleep difficulties a person would experience during winter.
Some of the influences of winter insomnia include difficulties with the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (Sandman et al. 2016), indoor thermal environment (Hou et al. 2024), physical (lack of energy, increased appetite) and emotional health difficulties (depressed mood and nightmares). Changes in the amount of light between seasons can influence insomnia symptoms.
Winter insomnia symptoms are more persistent and ongoing compared to those who struggle with occasional bouts of restless sleep. The symptoms usually last during the fall/winter seasons (Anderson et al. 1994). People who struggle with winter insomnia may have symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and report difficulties with getting to sleep, maintaining sleep quality, and with early morning awakenings.
There may be some overlap between winter insomnia and regular insomnia in terms of symptom presentation, but individuals who experience winter insomnia will only experience these insomnia difficulties when there is low light in the environment. Once daylight exposure has increased, symptoms will decrease, which is not the case for individuals who experience difficulties with insomnia.
If you struggle with insomnia and you have difficulties with SAD, the insomnia symptoms may become worse. There are treatment options for SAD that can be explored and have helped many who struggle with SAD symptoms.
I do believe that we can all be influenced by reduced daylight exposure in some way, and this may influence our sleep quality to some degree. But it’s more likely that with reduced daylight exposure we are more likely to want to sleep more than have difficulties getting to sleep (Hou et al 204). \
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I recommend that individuals who struggle with winter insomnia focus on making their sleeping arrangements as comfortable as possible. This may mean:
Invest in a Humidifier: Investing in a humidifier during dry periods of the winter can help significantly improve sleep quality. Reading the instructions and using the recommended water is also important. Most humidifiers do not tolerate tap water well.
Reduce Lighting: Reduce all ambient lighting in the room if possible. This could help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Adjust the Temperature: Find a comfortable temperature to sleep in. If you are too hot or too cold, you are more likely to experience difficulties with interrupted sleep.
Eliminate Distractions: Do not engage in activities that will distract your attention from your intentions of falling asleep, this could be not using technology an hour or two before bedtime.
Evaluate Your Sleep Hygiene Practice: Making sure that you do not eat or drink so close to bed may be important for you to get a good sleep. Eliminating alcohol and caffeine before bed may also be helpful (you may even want to consider reducing your consumption considerably until you are able to improve on your sleep).
Take Walks Outside: Take walks outside as much as you are able to.
Sandman, N., Merikanto, I., Määttänen, H., Valli, K., Kronholm, E., Laatikainen, T., ... & Paunio, T. (2016). Winter is coming: nightmares and sleep problems during seasonal affective disorder. Journal of Sleep Research, 25(5), 612-619.
Hou, Y., Chen, W., Chen, S., Liu, X., Zhu, Y., Cui, X., & Cao, B. (2024). Associations between indoor thermal environment assessment, mental health, and insomnia in winter. Sustainable Cities and Society, 114, 105751
Anderson, J. L., Rosen, L. N., Mendelson, W. B., Jacobsen, F. M., Skwerer, R. G., Joseph-Vanderpool, J. R., ... & Rosenthal, N. E. (1994). Sleep in fall/winter seasonal affective disorder: effects of light and changing seasons. Journal of psychosomatic research, 38(4), 323-337.
