Researchers discovered the secret to better sleep in winter - voila! health

Iris Cole interviews Prof. Rivi Tauman on sleep disorders - causes and treatment (Walla system)

In the winter we are all a bit more tired, and it is certainly more difficult to get out of bed in the morning, and a new study has discovered the reason for this - and also what the solution is.

A new study published in the Journal of Pineal Research found that the reason we are more tired in the winter is simply a lack of light, and that getting even a little sunlight in the morning can greatly improve the quality of our sleep at night.

Researchers at the University of Washington used smart watches to measure the sleep patterns and light exposure of 507 college students between 2015 and 2018. The data showed that the subjects went to sleep 35 minutes later and woke up 27 minutes later, on average, during winter compared to summer days.

Although these figures do not sound particularly dramatic, they surprised the researchers, who did not foresee the effect of early winter sunrises and sunsets.

"We expected that specifically in the summer, the students would get up later because of all the available light," senior study author Horacio de la Iglesia said in a university press release.

The researcher explained that humans follow a biological clock that operates close to a 24-hour cycle.

The process—which guides our energy levels and directly affects our sleep schedules—is affected by environmental stimuli such as exposure to light.

"If you're not exposed to enough light during the day when the sun is out, it 'sets back' your clock and delays the onset of sleep at night," de la Iglesia noted.

In fact, the researchers found that the subjects' sleep cycles moved 40 minutes later in the winter than in the summer.

As much natural light as possible during the day, as little artificial light as possible in the evening

"Light during the day—especially in the morning—advances your clock, so you'll get tired earlier in the evening, but exposure to light late in the day or early at night will delay your clock, pushing back the time you'll feel tired," explained de la Iglesia, "ultimately, The time you fall asleep is the result of the balance between these opposite effects of exposure to light at different times of the day."

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Go out for coffee or a workout, or both.

Just get out.

A woman drinks coffee after a workout (Photo: ShutterStock)

According to the study, morning light has a greater effect on sleep than evening light, when every hour of daylight promoted the subjects' sleep, while evening light (even artificial from lamps or screens) delayed it.

The benefits of daylight were also found on cloudy or gray days, as any natural light was found to be more effective than artificial light.

"Many of us live in cities and towns with a lot of artificial light and lifestyles that keep us indoors during the day," concluded de la Iglesia, "What this study shows is that we need to go outside - even for a short time and especially in the morning - to be exposed to natural light. In the evening, reduce to a minimum the screen time and the artificial lighting to sleep better."

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