Seasonal Sleep Changes

You may not realize that when seasons change, so does your ability to achieve good sleep. There are physiological changes that take place. For example, as the days get lighter and longer, this affects the amount of melatonin in your body.

Less melatonin means less sleep. In the spring season, Daylight Savings Time can disrupt your sleep. The changing time can throw off your sleep schedule. You can also have trouble sleeping due to the allergies that this season often ushers in.

In the summer months, the light also causes sleep changes. A lot of people find that they develop insomnia when summer hits. That’s because, just like in spring, your melatonin levels are altered.

The amount that you have in your body lessens when it’s light out and this is what affects your circadian rhythm. In the fall and winter, there’s not as much sunlight and people aren’t outdoors as often.

This can cause drops in the amount of vitamin D your body has. Once this level drops, the body doesn’t have as much of the neurotransmitter responsible for producing melatonin.

If the vitamin D level drops low enough, it can even bring on SAD. It’s important that you get enough sleep. When you don’t, it impairs your immune system because sleep boosts your T cells.....