Spring provides so many things to cheer about: warmer weather, blooming flowers and lighter nights - but for some it also brings the dreary nights of insomnia…
You may not have noticed the link between the season and your incessant inability to sleep. Perhaps you’ve put it down to certain stresses in your day-to-day life? After all, we look forward to spring for months, so it seems strange to then blame our sleep problems on it.
What’s the biggest culprit for springtime insomnia?
The main reason for the sudden shift in your sleeping habits is your circadian rhythm, or to put simply - your internal clock.
Studies have shown that when the clocks ‘spring’ forward in March, our internal clock is not as timely, and often takes a while to catch up - at least a week for both adults and kids. Suddenly we experience a desynchronisation between the actual clock and our internal clock, leaving us all a little discombobulated.
Also affected by a wonky circadian rhythm is the all-important sleep hormone: Melatonin. Melatonin is produced by our bodies and prepares us for sleep, leading us to feel tired and ready to hit the hay. Because the days are becoming longer and our internal clock is still adjusting, Melatonin production may be delayed, causing trouble falling asleep.
If this wasn’t enough, there are other causes thought to be responsible for your springtime insomnia:
1. Springtime allergies
With all of the vibrant flowers blooming around us, spring can be a very pretty time of year. But they also bring allergies… AKA snoring and sneezing. So even if you don't have the sniffles, the effects of your partner's plugged nasal tube could certainly disrupt your sleep! Find out whether you are just a snorer or may in fact have sleep apnea here.
2. The end to winter hibernation
Most of us hunker down in the winter months, and socialising is put on the back burner for Q1. So when the light evenings of spring come back around it can too easy (read: tempting) to just ‘pop out’ for a quick after-work catch up with your bestie. But even one or two glasses of alcohol can have a negative impact on your sleep, often resulting in a very restless night.
3. The morning chorus
Whether you live in a busy city or in the secluded countryside, there’s no getting away from them - birds are everywhere!
The clocks going forward at the beginning of spring gives us a few weeks' grace, by making the sunrise later, but it’s not long before the musical sound of the birds is projecting into our bedrooms at 5am! Although there is one way of avoiding this early wake-up call - try our Bluetooth Sleep Headphones, which cleverly block out the morning light too.
4. Over excitement
Generally, the longer days mean we all of a sudden think we have more energy than we did a couple of months ago. So with a new zest for life, we cram a lot more into our days, including exercising, socialising and trips out. What we need to remember is that while we have this new sense of excitement, our internal clock is a bit of a stickler for the rules and does not react well to change, especially when it comes to our bedtime routine!
So, can you avoid ‘Springtime Insomnia’?
Taking all of the above into account, it seems ridiculous to suggest that we should not enjoy the extra daylight, see our friends, and embrace being out in nature. However, what we can do is be mindful that our springtime activities might have an impact on our sleep, and be proactive in finding a simple and natural solution to eliminate these sleep issues.
Sleepee is packed full of science-backed, natural sleep-inducing ingredients that - although won’t prevent those pesky allergies, or create enough resistance to you declining those after-work Aperols - will ensure that you benefit from better quality and longer sleep.
Try Sleepee today, and appreciate spring again!