Winter brings earlier sunsets, colder days, and a natural pull toward quiet, cozy rest. Yet for many people, winter can also disrupt sleep: either by making you feel too sleepy or by throwing off your internal rhythm completely. The combination of darker days, holiday stress, and changes in routine can leave you feeling out of balance.
The good news? Winter is actually the perfect season to reset your sleep habits and build a nourishing nighttime routine. Here’s how to create healthier, deeper, more restorative sleep during the colder months.
- Why Winter Affects Your Sleep
- 1. Set a Gentle, Consistent Sleep Schedule
- 2. Create a Warm, Cozy Sleep Environment
- 3. Build a Wind-Down Routine Perfect for Winter
- 4. Use Imagination to Calm Nighttime Overthinking
- 5. Get Outside During Daylight Hours
- 6. Support Sleep with Winter-Friendly Foods
- 7. Limit Blue Light in the Evenings
- 8. Listen to Your Body—Winter Is for Rest
Why Winter Affects Your Sleep
Winter changes your environment in ways that directly influence your sleep cycle:
1. Less daylight = more melatonin
Melatonin, the hormone that helps you feel sleepy, increases as the sun goes down.
In winter, this can make you feel tired much earlier than usual.
2. Temperature drops
Cooler temperatures are ideal for sleep, but if your room gets too cold or too dry, you may wake up throughout the night.
3. Changes in routine
Holiday events, travel, stress, and eating patterns can disrupt your circadian rhythm.
4. Mood shifts
Some people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which can impact sleep quality and daytime energy.
Understanding these changes helps you support your body instead of fighting it.
1. Set a Gentle, Consistent Sleep Schedule
Winter can tempt you to hibernate, but irregular sleep times can make you feel groggy.
Aim to:
✓ Wake up at the same time daily
✓ Go to bed around the same time
✓ Get 10–20 minutes of morning light by opening the curtains straight away, even if it’s cloudy
This helps keep your internal clock stable, improving both sleep and mood. Whenever I need to change my habits, I use a habit tracker so that I have that extra bit of motivation and satisfaction at correctly following the new habit.
2. Create a Warm, Cozy Sleep Environment
Your body naturally sleeps best between 60–67°F (15–19°C).
But winter can drop your room below that, making sleep patchy.
Try:
• A warm duvet but a cool bedroom
• A hot water bottle at your feet
• Moisturizing your skin before bed to avoid “itchy-winter-skin wake-ups”
• A humidifier if your air feels dry
A comfortable environment = deeper sleep. My personal routine is to fill a hot water bottle around 20 minutes before going to bed so that when I get in, the bed is already nice and warm.
3. Build a Wind-Down Routine Perfect for Winter
The darker evenings offer a great opportunity to slow down.
Ideas for winter wind-downs:
• Warm herbal tea (chamomile, peppermint, lavender)
• Screen-free reading
• Light stretching or gentle yoga
• Writing in a sleep journal
• Visualization or breathing exercises
• A warm bath to lower your core temperature afterwardEven 10–15 minutes helps signal to your body: It’s time to rest.
4. Use Imagination to Calm Nighttime Overthinking
Winter tends to bring more rumination and “busy brain” moments.
Guided visualizations or mental scene-building can be incredibly soothing:
- Imagine walking through a quiet winter forest
- Picture a warm cabin with a fire crackling
- Mentally craft a calming storyline before drifting off
5. Get Outside During Daylight Hours
Even on a cloudy winter day, outdoor light is 10x brighter than indoor light.
This helps regulate your circadian rhythm and boosts serotonin.
Aim for:
✓ 10–30 minutes of natural light
✓ Ideally within the first hour after waking
This reduces afternoon tiredness and helps you sleep better at night.
6. Support Sleep with Winter-Friendly Foods
Winter comfort meals can support good sleep—if you choose them mindfully.
Great sleep-supporting foods include:
• Oats
• Bananas
• Turkey
• Warm milk
• Almonds
• Herbal teas
• Dark leafy greens
Try to avoid heavy sugar late at night, which can jolt you awake.
7. Limit Blue Light in the Evenings
Winter = more indoor time = more screen time.
Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime.
Try:
• Dimming your phone/TV brightness
• Switching to warm-tone lighting
• Avoiding screens 30–60 minutes before bed if possible
• Using a warm bedside lamp instead of overhead lights
Your brain will thank you.
8. Listen to Your Body—Winter Is for Rest
Winter naturally encourages slower rhythms.
If your body needs more rest, that’s okay.
Just stay aware of:
• Oversleeping
• Napping too long
• Feeling unusually low-energy
If your sleepiness feels excessive, it might be worth speaking to a doctor or exploring winter mood-related patterns.
