Seasonal sleep: How is your body affected?

The National Sleep Foundation says, “In general, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night.” During the winter you may be getting proper sleep and, come summer, you may feel sluggish. Don’t worry, this is normal.

Advanced Sleep Medicine Services talks about three seasonal characteristics of sleep:

1. Humans sleep when the sun sets and wake when it rises – when the sun sets later, we don’t begin to feel tired until later at night.

2. Daytime activity affects sleep – the winter means comfort food and the couch.

3. Summer heat makes it harder to fall asleep.

– Josh Sarnowitz, The Boston 100