Why is it difficult to sleep when the seasons change?

When seasons change, day length lengthens or shortens, outdoor temperatures increase or decrease, affecting the body’s natural circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is a natural mechanism that regulates physiological functions such as sleep, waking time, and feeling of alertness. Here are three main factors that affect your sleep.

Changing the length of day and night: Changes in light and day-night rhythms make it difficult for the body to adjust to a suitable sleep time. During different seasons, especially autumn and spring, the length of day and night affects the amount of light that the eyes receive, which in turn affects the production of the hormone melatonin that regulates sleep. When it gets dark earlier in these seasons, melatonin is secreted early, leading to feelings of fatigue and drowsiness.

Temperature change: When it’s too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter, the body needs time to adjust to the right internal temperature to create ideal conditions for deep sleep. Sudden increases or decreases in temperature cause the body to constantly adjust, making it easy to toss and turn.

Change your schedule: People often tend to adjust their lifestyle and daily habits according to the season. For example, people may go out more in the summer in the evening, changing their rest time. During autumn and winter, people tend to stay indoors more, affecting their biological clock and disrupting their natural sleep time.

To improve your sleep, you can apply some measures such as going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends. Keeping the room comfortable, quiet and at the right temperature helps you fall asleep faster and deeper.

You can try warm teas such as chamomile tea, lotus tea or mint tea in the evening. Herbal tea contributes to calming nerves, reducing stress and creating a warm, comfortable feeling, making it easier to fall asleep. Maintaining this habit also supports digestion on cold weather days. Supplementing natural essences from blueberry (blueberry), ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) helps increase blood flow to the brain, reduces nervous tension, thereby helping to sleep easily and deeply.

You should bathe in warm water instead of cold water when the seasons change. Because cold water easily cools the body down, making you unnecessarily alert at night. Limit computer, phone or TV screens that emit blue light one hour before bedtime. Regular exercise helps release hormones and sleep well. Avoid using sleeping pills because they can easily cause side effects.

If poor quality sleep persists, you should see a neurologist for treatment. There are different treatment methods depending on the condition. In particular, transcranial magnetic stimulation technique creates electrical waves in the brain, improves nerve function and connection, and effectively treats insomnia and difficulty sleeping.