Winter changes sleep. The mornings are dark, the evenings come early, and the cold makes getting out of bed feel like a negotiation. Shorter days can throw off the body’s internal clock, leaving people groggy during the day or wide awake at night.
The good news is that most winter sleep problems respond to simple, steady habits: daylight in the morning, the same sleep and wake times every day, a calm wind-down in the evening, and a bedroom that is dark, quiet, and cool.
This article is general wellness information only. It is not medical advice, and it does not diagnose or treat any condition.
How much sleep do adults need?
Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep a night. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends seven or more hours per night for adults aged 18 to 60, seven to nine hours for ages 61 to 64, and seven to eight hours for people 65 and older.
Those numbers are averages for populations, so individual needs vary. But the seven-hour line is a useful anchor: if your alarm regularly rings less than seven hours after you fall asleep, your routine is worth a look before anything else.
The CDC also notes that getting enough sleep is linked to getting sick less often, staying at a healthy weight, reducing stress and improving mood, and supporting heart health and metabolism.
Winter light: get outside in the morning
The single most useful winter habit is also the simplest: get natural light as early as you can. As daylight hours dwindle, the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, can get thrown off balance, and morning light helps reset that clock and boost alertness during the day.
NHS Wales advises trying to get outside within an hour of waking, even on cloudy days, because a dose of natural light helps reset the circadian rhythm. Its guidance adds that even when it is cloudy and dull outside, natural light is important for synchronizing the body clock: open your curtains as soon as you get up, get outside for your morning coffee or tea if you can, and sitting by a window is the next best thing.
A light therapy lamp, sometimes called a lightbox, can mimic sunshine for people who wake before sunrise and work indoors all day. NHS Wales suggests aiming for 20 to 30 minutes of exposure in the morning hours.
Keep the same hours, including weekends
Consistency is the second pillar. The CDC lists a consistent bedtime and wake time as its first sleep tip, and the NHS says going to bed and getting up at similar times each day helps your body know when it is time to sleep, including on days off.
Build a wind-down routine
Your brain needs a signal that the day is ending. NHS Wales recommends starting the process of readying your brain for sleep around two to three hours before bedtime: plan calming and soothing activities and keep the lighting in the home dim. Dim the lights, read a book, or do gentle stretches instead of staring at a screen.
Screens deserve special attention in winter, when evenings are long and scrolling fills the hours. The CDC recommends turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed, and the NHS advises an hour without phones, tablets, and computers, because blue light can make it harder to fall asleep and can delay production of melatonin, the hormone that naturally rises at night to promote sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol also matter more than most people expect. The CDC advises avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, as well as large meals and alcohol before bed, and the NHS advises avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine in the hour or two before bed. The effects of caffeine can last up to eight hours, so an afternoon coffee can still matter at night.
Being active during the day can help you fall asleep at night, according to the CDC. A daytime walk does double duty in winter: movement plus daylight. If exercise leaves you alert, schedule it earlier rather than close to bedtime.
Make the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
All three major health agencies use nearly the same words for the bedroom: quiet, dark, and cool. The CDC’s recipe is to keep bedrooms quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature, and to remove electronic devices from the bedroom.
Temperature is the detail people get wrong most often, especially in winter, when the instinct is to heat the bedroom like the rest of the house. The Sleep Foundation recommends keeping the bedroom at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit (about 18 degrees Celsius), with most doctors recommending a range of 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 20 degrees Celsius). A room that is too warm can interfere with the body’s natural cooling at night and make it harder to fall and stay asleep. The goal is a cool room with warm covers, not a warm room with light covers.
Darkness matters too. The NHS suggests curtains that close fully and putting your phone face down, and earplugs if noise is a problem. If the room feels stuffy or you wake up overheated, turn the thermostat down a degree or two and add a blanket instead.
For more on preparing your home for the coldest nights, see our guide to winter storm preparedness (/winter-storm-preparedness-before-during-after/), and for practical steps when everyday products cause problems, read our guide to recalled food and what to do (/recalled-food-the-exact-steps-to-take-when-a-product-you-bought-is-recalled/).
When poor sleep warrants talking to a clinician
Good habits help most people, but they do not fix everything, and there is a point where professional help is the right step. The NHS advises seeing a GP if changing your sleeping habits has not worked, if you have had trouble sleeping for months, or if your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope.
Insomnia that lasts less than three months is called short-term insomnia; insomnia that lasts three months or longer is called long-term insomnia. But the NHS guidance is not a waiting period: you do not need to wait three months before seeking help. If poor sleep is making daily life hard to manage, or habit changes have not helped, that is reason enough to talk to a GP, who will try to find out what is causing the problem so you get the right treatment.
There is also a seasonal pattern worth knowing about. Seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called winter depression, is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern, with symptoms usually more apparent and more severe during the winter months, according to the NHS. Low mood that recurs every winter, along with changes in sleep, is different from an ordinary bad week, and the NHS suggests contacting a GP if you think you may be affected.
Winter will not give you more daylight. But a steady routine — morning light, the same hours, a calm wind-down, and a dark, quiet, cool bedroom — can keep your body clock in sync through the darkest months. And if the routine is not working after a few weeks, or poor sleep is making daily life hard to cope with, talk to a clinician instead of waiting it out.
Frequently asked questions
How much sleep do adults need in winter?
The CDC recommends seven or more hours per night for adults aged 18 to 60, seven to nine hours for ages 61 to 64, and seven to eight hours for people 65 and older. Winter does not change the recommendation, but shorter days can make it harder to keep a regular schedule.
Does morning daylight really help sleep?
Yes. Morning natural light helps reset the body’s internal clock and boosts alertness during the day. NHS Wales advises getting outside within an hour of waking, even on cloudy days.
What temperature should a bedroom be for sleep?
The Sleep Foundation recommends about 65 degrees Fahrenheit (about 18 degrees Celsius), with most doctors recommending a range of 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 20 degrees Celsius). Treat that as a starting point and adjust by a degree or two for personal comfort.
How long before bed should I stop using screens?
The CDC recommends turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed. The NHS advises an hour without phones, tablets, and computers, because blue light can make it harder to fall asleep and can delay melatonin production.
When should I see a doctor about poor sleep?
The NHS advises seeing a GP if changing your sleeping habits has not worked, if you have had trouble sleeping for months, or if poor sleep is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope. You do not need to wait three months before seeking help.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Do You Get Enough Sleep?” — https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/59858/cdc_59858_DS1.pdf
- NHS Wales, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, “Snooze through winter: Simple habits for restful nights during the darker months” — https://abuhb.nhs.wales/news/news/snooze-through-winter-simple-habits-for-restful-nights-during-the-darker-months/
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, “NSFT sleep expert shares top tips to help children sleep better as the clocks go back” — https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/news/nsft-sleep-expert-shares-top-tips-to-help-children-sleep-better-as-the-clocks-go-back-4775
- NHS 111 Wales, “Insomnia” — https://111.wales.nhs.uk/insomnia/
- Sleep Foundation, “Best Temperature for Sleep” — https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/best-temperature-for-sleep