Sleep and the seasons.
Do seasonal variations influence sleep? We’re based in northern England at about 53 degrees north. Consequently, we’re used to daily ranges in daylight that are much greater than experienced elsewhere in the world. Sunrise ranges between 4.30am and 8.15am and sunset between 3.30pm and 9.50pm. It’s not just the amount of daylight it’s also the quality of the darkness. On June nights, especially if the sky is clear then there is a sense of it never really getting properly dark. The deep darkness of December and January is surely more conducive to sleep?
Certainly, at a personal level that’s the case. It’s much harder to get a good quality and quantity of sleep in the mid-summer than mid-winter. Spring with its rapidly lengthening days can be particularly problematic.
But our experience in the acupuncture clinic has never really fitted the seasonal profile. Low level sleep problems and insomnia present at all times of the year with no discernible peak in the summer.
Academic research seems to be ambivalent on the subject too. Some studies have found a negative correlation between daylight length and sleep quality. But others haven’t found such a relationship.
Perhaps the most comprehensive meta analysis by Mattingly et al found that the seasonal effect on sleep was modest. The study was based in the US where latitudinal impact is much less than in Northern Europe.
So what can you do if the light nights are damaging your sleep ? Firstly perhaps just recognise it as a phase that will pass and don’t start defining yourself as a clinical insomniac. Perhaps accept and work with seasonal patterns- get up earlier in the Summer and later in the Winter? As mammals we may well be meant to semi hibernate although modern society militates against this. Make sensible sleeping adjustments, black out blinds and sleep masks can work well for some people. Still struggling than try our unique 3 point plan– it works well all year round.