Why do I sleep more in winter but still feel tired?
Lots of people sleep longer when the evenings draw in and still wake up exhausted. It feels unfair: you are giving your body more rest, so why does it not feel rested?
Part of the answer is light. Your body makes more of the sleep hormone melatonin when it is dark. With long, dark evenings and dark mornings, that sleepy signal can start earlier and hang around longer. The NHS and the US National Institute of Mental Health both describe oversleeping and low energy as common in seasonal low mood. More hours in bed does not always mean better sleep. Often it means lighter, broken sleep and a groggy start.
What can I change tonight?
- Pick one wake-up time and keep it seven days a week. This does more for tiredness than going to bed earlier.
- Get bright light in the morning and dim light in the evening. Morning daylight tells your body when the day starts. Softer lamps after dinner help it wind down.
- Watch the long afternoon nap. If you need one, keep it under thirty minutes and before 3pm.
- Keep your phone out of bed. Scrolling in the dark keeps your brain busy just when it needs to settle.
- Go easy on late heavy meals and alcohol. Both can make sleep lighter and more broken.
What if my mind races when I lie down?
Winter evenings can leave a lot of quiet time for worrying. Try writing down what is on your mind before bed: three lines about the day and one thing for tomorrow. Getting it on paper tells your brain it does not have to keep holding it all night.
When should I get help with sleep?
If you are sleeping much more or much less than usual for more than a couple of weeks, or tiredness is getting in the way of work, family or friends, it is worth talking to your GP.
If you want somewhere to put this into words, Brighten Your Seasons is Echo's guided journal for the darker months. Each page is short, and it helps you notice your own winter pattern and what actually lifts it.
If you would like help winding down at night, Powerful Guided Meditation: Releasing and Recharging is one of Echo's own courses, created by Hendrina Sterling Rodriguez.
If low mood lasts, gets worse, or starts to make daily life hard, please talk to your GP or a mental health professional. If you are thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency service now.
Where to take this next
Explore How To Cultivate Self Confidence for building steadier self-confidence
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Explore How To Cultivate Self Confidence
This is Echo's own course, created by Hendrina Sterling Rodriguez.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions readers most often bring to this topic, answered in short.
Is it normal to sleep more in winter?
Many people sleep a little longer in the darker months, because long dark evenings and mornings change how the body releases its sleep hormone. It becomes worth checking with a GP if it is a big change that lasts or gets in the way of daily life.
Should I go to bed earlier when I feel tired in winter?
A fixed wake-up time usually helps more than an earlier bedtime. Waking at the same time every day, and getting daylight soon after, helps your body clock settle so sleep feels more restful.
Do naps help with winter tiredness?
A short nap of under thirty minutes before mid-afternoon can help. Longer or later naps often make night-time sleep lighter and leave you feeling groggier the next day.
Sources
- NHS — Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — Tier 1
- NIMH — Seasonal affective disorder — Tier 1
- About Echo — Tier 2
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Written by Hendrina Sterling Rodríguez, psychotherapist and founder of Echo Journey. If you’d like to work with me directly, book a consultation.