Summertime and Sleep: How The Warmer Season Affects Sleep

Your wardrobe isn’t the only thing that changes with the season; seasonal changes affect your sleep as well. Longer days mean more time for fun in the sun, from backyard barbecues to lazy beach days. But longer days can make it harder for our bodies to fall asleep.

A study discussed in Forbes found that people with windows at work got 173% more natural white light than those without office windows. Workers who were exposed to more sun got more sleep on average, 46 minutes more per night.

Sun can help us sleep more, but it can also disrupt our natural body clocks. The sun staying out longer makes us want to stay up later. The increased daylight interferes with our circadian rhythms – our body’s natural sleep clock. You can’t dim the sun, but you can dawn a sleep mask to block out light and help you fall asleep. Summertime also means more hours of daylight overall, so wearing a sleep mask all night can help block out the early morning sun too.

Changing your body’s natural sleep cycle each season can make it harder to fall asleep, but going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time year round can help ensure a restful slumber.

Another summer bummer? Hot nights can make it harder to sleep. Body temperature naturally rises just before we are about to wake up, and sleep happens when the body’s internal temperature drops.  So when our body is hot throughout the night, it makes it hard to sleep well. Crack the windows for a breeze, or turn on that ceiling fan. Making sure your sheets are light and breathable can also help you beat the heat. Eight’s 300 thread count cotton bed sheets are the perfect choice for summer nights.  

We want you to get the most out of your summer, day and night. Check out the breathable Eight sheets here.

 

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