"if you feel like sleeping more in the winter, you're not alone," said dr. raj dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at huntington memorial hospital in pasadena, california, citing research that found at least a third of american adults reported they sleep more in the winter.
Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, said, "If you feel like you're sleeping more in the winter, you're not alone. He cites research that found that at least one-third of U.S. adults say they sleep more in the winter.
the desire for, or occurrence of, more sleep during winter may h**e to do with how light fluctuates throughout the year.
The desire for or more sleep during the winter months may be related to fluctuations in light throughout the year.
our bodies receive cues from the sun when it comes to our circadian rhythm, meaning that when it is bright outside we tend to be active, but when the sun goes down, you may tend to feel tired," dasgupta said. "the decrease in sunlight causes an increase in melatonin, a hormone made in the body that regulates sleep-wake cycles."
"In terms of circadian rhythms, our bodies receive cues from the sun, that is, when it's sunny outside, we tend to be excited, but when the sun goes down, you can feel tired," Dasgupta said. The decrease in sunlight leads to an increase in melatonin, a hormone produced in the body that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. ”
with the earlier production of melatonin during winter, “it would be natural to assume that a healthy person also would need more sleep during the winter,” said dr. carleara weiss, a research assistant professor in the center for nursing research at the university of buffalo.
Dr. Carylla Weiss, a research assistant professor at the Center for Nursing Research at the University at Buffalo, said, "Because melatonin is secreted earlier in the winter, we would naturally assume that healthy people also need more sleep during the winter months. ”
and light influences not only sleep quantity but also sleep quality. “rem sleep is highly affected by light and darkness, so when during the winter months we h**e less light, the body is going to basically overcompensate by giving more rem sleep,” said dr. joshua tal, a new york city-based clinical psychologist specializing in sleep issues.
Light exposure affects not only sleep duration, but also sleep quality. Dr. Joshua Tarr, a clinical psychologist for sleep problems in New York City, said, "REM sleep is heavily influenced by light and darkness, so when light is reduced in the winter, the body essentially overcompensates by providing more REM sleep." ”