Why You Should Sleep Longer in Winter: German Scientists Answer

22.02.2023 11:13

A group of specialists analyzed the impact of sleep on human health.

Men and women of different ages were invited to participate in the experiment.

The results are published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.

During the observations it was found that in the winter period a person’s sleep increases by an average of 62 minutes compared to warm periods of the year.

It is also important to consider that the transition from falling asleep to the REM sleep phase takes half an hour longer during the cold months.

Young woman
Photo: Pixabay

In addition, in the autumn, the time from the moment of falling asleep to the beginning of the REM sleep phase is shorter by 25 minutes than in the spring, and in the winter it is longer by half an hour.

It is important to consider that slow-wave sleep is necessary for humans. As the study showed, it is stable in winter and summer, but decreased in autumn by 31 minutes, compared to February.

Therefore, it is important to remember that in winter the body requires a longer rest because it reacts sensitively to changes that occur in nature. Therefore, you need to sleep an hour longer, for example, you can go to bed earlier.

Olga Kotova Author: Olga Kotova Internet resource editor