Have you ever noticed how your sleep can feel different depending on the weather outside? It's actually not just a coincidence. Our sleep patterns often dance in tune with the ever changing weather, from sunny days to cloudy skies and everything in between. When it comes to our emotional weather, the change can be felt quite easily, yet detecting changes in our sleeping patterns might be difficult to identify.
The fluctuations between waking up to a bright, sunny morning, and then the next day, dark clouds roll in, with cold winds and a pitter-patter of raindrops against the window, can have a significant effect on one’s sleep, among many other changes. This natural reaction of adjustment used to play a key role in the human kind’s survival, while such rapid changes can create the mental impact of imbalance and uncomfortable feelings.
Sleep environment factors
Diving into our physiology, sharp changes in temperature can disrupt our body's ability to regulate its internal temperature, making it harder to fall asleep comfortably. Whether it's a cold snap or a sudden heatwave, extreme temperatures can leave us tossing and turning throughout the night. Diving a little deeper, temperature is a key factor in assessing circadian rhythms, as it changes according to different stages of sleep and influences other sleep factors such as melatonin.
On top of temperatures, natural light plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep-wake cycles. Bright, sunny days signal our bodies to wake up and stay alert, while overcast skies can make us feel drowsy and lethargic. These shifts in natural light can throw off our internal clocks, leading to disrupted sleep patterns. Moreover, intermediate sun exposure is relevant for Vitamin D circulation, a substance with such an impact over physical health and mental state.
Changes in atmospheric pressure are considered to be another factor influencing our ability and need to adjust. Often associated with incoming weather systems, it can impact our physical well-being and sleep quality. Some people may experience headaches, sinus pressure, or joint pain during periods of fluctuating pressure, leading to sleep disturbances and discomfort.
Furthermore, while the soothing sound of rain may lull some individuals into a peaceful slumber, others may find themselves startled awake by thunderstorms or anxious about potential disruptions. Stormy weather can trigger a mix of emotions and sensations that affect our ability to sleep soundly.
Sleep hygiene adjustments and management
As you know us @elvy.ai, we never leave you empty handed facing a sleep challenge:
In order to deal with the changes outside in an optimal way, one first needs to acknowledge the changes on the inside. Examining the feelings arising from the current weather, naming these emotions, identifying the connection between the outside and the inside is the key to approach this issue (as well as other relative issues in life).
In general, when changes happen, even if they are considered good changes, the first thing is to stick to something which is constant. While the ship is rocked by the waves of the ocean, we all want to grab a steady pole and hold on to something stable. The same instincts apply here, therefore having a steady routine and a constant sleep schedule will be good poles to hold. A good sleep hygiene can act as an anchor for sleep quality during such periods of change.
The next aspect that should be approached is one’s comfort zone. It’s not a coincidence that changes make us feel out of place and anything that can be done in order to restore the feeling of being comfortable might be helpful. Making your sleep environment comfy and optimizing it to meet your personal needs and preferences can change the rules of the game when it comes to sleeping through times of changes. Moreover, there’s nothing like a cozy blanket on rainy nights and nothing better than fresh soothing sheets during hot summer days.
Last but not least it will be appropriate to address mental well-being by one’s individual preferences, whether it’s meditation, physical activity, nice baths, specific foods, etc. Making one’s soul relaxed through intense times is always for the better, yet harder to reach. While we often choose to discuss different ways to improve our well-being, this time let’s just settle for starting something, making any kind of relaxing choice each time we have a choice, and move forward one step at a time.
Sleeping through the changes
To sum up, weather changes might create new challenges for our sleeping quality and habits, yet they might act as a trigger of inner changes we are going through and represent them from the outside as part of our experience. While wishing to achieve better healthy well-being and quality of life through quality of sleep, it’s important to pay attention to these changes and their effects and treat them with respect and self love.
Wishing you a good night’s sleep
elvy.ai
