Why We Need Sleep - Issues with Winter Insomnia
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.
How to Talk About Your Body Around Your Children
Taking a step back and reflecting on what you say and how you say it is particularly important. Making comments about weight and diet is likely to influence how others see you and understand you. This is particularly important for those who look up to you. They may internalize these comments, which could influence their future behaviour and thinking. This may begin with avoiding referring to certain foods and 'good' or 'bad.' Using terminology that is more neutral may be more appropriate, such as "occasional food" or "anytime food."
Comparing yourself to others may also be a problem. As you continue to compare yourself to others, your children may take notice. Controlling this behaviour may be important and may also help with reducing negative feelings, which could take a load off your day-to-day stress. There is no need to do this, and working on letting go of this behaviour could bring great changes for you and those around you.
Finding ways to empower yourself and your children is important for maintaining self-esteem. This could mean enrolling yourself and your children in extracurriculars and picking up hobbies. My work as a psychologist has helped many people discover the benefits of an engaging in an extra curricular as an adult
How to Lower Your Blood Pressure and Stay Calm and at Ease
Part of keeping calm is working on creating practices that support self-care. This may mean engaging in a meditation practice that supports taking time to breathe and train so that when you need to feel regulated, you have the skills necessary to do so. Several resources are available to help you with your meditation practice online and at the local library. What I like about meditation is that it gives you a bigger bandwidth to deal with life stress, which in turn brings on more feelings of calm and ease. What is most important to consider is how often you practice the meditation. The recommendation is to do it daily for at least 15 mins.
Lastly, assessing your thinking could also be imperative to living a calmer life. This may mean lowering your standards and adjusting your expectations of people. It may require time and constant introspection, but it could serve as a valuable suggestion if done correctly.