How to Improve Your Sleep During Cold Months
No matter what time of year it is, getting a good sleep is always important. However, getting them consistently is far from easy. This is especially true for many people in the winter. Whether it is the cold, or something else entirely, some people struggle to sleep well during the winter months.
This can have a negative effect on their mood, their performance at work or school and even their overall health as a whole. In an effort to help you have better sleep this winter, this article is going to go over some winter sleeping habits to keep in mind.
Get a Quality Mattress
One of the first ways you can improve your sleep during the winter is to get a quality mattress. If you sleep on an old or lumpy mattress, it can make falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. Simply going out and getting
While you might be tempted to go out and get a soft mattress you will sink into for added warmth during the winter, this shouldn’t automatically be your first choice. Remember, you will also be sleeping on this mattress during the spring or summer.
The mattress you should get depends on how you like to sleep. Some people prefer a mattress that is more soft, while others prefer one that is more firm and thus offers additional support. If you want to learn more about some options, be sure to check out online resources like Health.com. They will go over some of the most popular, to help make your decision easier.
Choose the Right Temperature in the Room
As you could imagine, the temperature in your room has a huge impact on how you will end up sleeping in the winter. Sleeping well is all about being comfortable, and being overly hot or cold can make it impossible to get comfortable enough for a full night of quality sleep. So what temperature is the best?
According to the science, the optimal temperature is around 65 degrees F, give or take a couple of degrees. However, if you live in an area that gets very cold, or if your home has a draft, don’t be afraid to bump it up a little bit to make sure you are comfortable.
But don’t get too crazy with this, as sleeping in temperatures that are too high can make your sleep uncomfortable and sweaty. If you find yourself getting cold, adding an extra blanket is often a good idea in a pinch instead of heating the whole home while you’re not even awake to enjoy it.
See the Light
While you might think that more bright light will hurt your sleep, this isn’t always the case. Sure, interacting with bright lights before bed can be harmful, but being exposed to bright light during the day can actually help your sleep. This is because it helps to calibrate and regulate your circadian rhythm, which is the internal clock of your body.
Seeing light in the day lets your body know it’s the daytime, and can make the transition to night easier. Unfortunately, during the winter, many people go to work when it is dark and get off when it’s dark. As a result, they hardly ever see any natural light during the day. If you want to improve your sleep in the winter, do your best to get outside during your breaks or at lunch to make sure you get at least some exposure to some good light.
Keep Your Diet and Exercise Routine in Check
In the winter, our behaviors tend to change. Many of us exercise less and lose track of our diets. Both of these can unfortunately contribute to a bad sleep. Exercising regularly can improve your sleep quality, but most people don’t want to venture out in the cold from their warm home to go for a walk or go to the gym.
On the diet front, many people eat much heavier in the winter, whether that be for the holidays or simply because you want some comfort food. If you are able to eat a balanced and healthy diet, while keeping up a bit on an exercise routine, you will almost surely see your sleep quality improve.
Sleeping Well in the Winter
By choosing the right mattress, ensuring the temperature is right, getting ample amounts of lighting and staying healthy, you can dramatically improve your sleep quality in the winter. Whether it is the winter or the summer, getting a good quality night of sleep is always important.
We hope these winter sleeping tips help.
