How to achieve a sound winter sleep

Javier A. Porras Gil

It’s midwinter. You crawl under the covers; you are unsure what time of day it is because it has been dark outside for as long as you can remember. Your feet are freezing, your head is buzzing from looking at screens, and your brain refuses to power down. Let’s walk through how temperature, light, noise, textiles, position, sensory stimulation, screens, and even supplements interact, and how to tweak them for optimal sleep when the nights get long.

Start with temperature: your body likes it cool, around 16 ¡C to 19 ¡C. Even if you are warmer under the covers, the ambient temperature helps to relax the body. Yet winter homes are often overheated, leaving you tossing and turning. Try lowering the thermostat, cracking open a window, or choosing breathable and moisture-wicking fabrics like wool blends or temperature-buffering cottons. They help maintain that “just right” warmth that signals your body to rest.

Winter also brings new noises: humming heaters, clunky pipes, distant snow plows. Experts recommend keeping the sound level in your room below 35 decibels (comparable to listening to a whisper) or adding gentle white or pink noise to smooth out disruptions. Silence isn’t always golden; consistency is. As a personal preference, I like to use wax earplugs; you can mold them to your ear canal, and they are more hygienic.

Light plays lots of tricks too! Short days push us toward screens, but the blue light delays melatonin and sleep. The fix: log off an hour before sleep and swap harsh bulbs for warm amber light. Then, catch real daylight early in the day. Even cloudy light resets your circadian rhythm. For early risers, try a sunrise alarm clock or a light therapy box for 30 minutes in the morning to counter that pesky seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

However, ritual matters more than perfection. Dimming lights, sipping herbal tea, stretching or reading can all be part of your bedtime routine. Ditch perfection from your goals and opt for soothing textures and scents such as lavender, soft throws, and fuzzy socks to tell your nervous system it’s safe to rest.

Your sleep position and bedding setup count too. Side or back sleeping supports the spine better than stomach positions, and firm, supportive pillows reduce micro-awakenings. In my latest collaboration with Amelia Jerden, writer for The Strategist, a website published by New York Magazine, we dove into how to make sleeping positions easier and why it is recommended to sleep on your side.

Finally, pay attention to your winter nutrition: caffeine, low vitamin D, and heavy meals close to bedtime all work against you. Supplements like magnesium or melatonin can help, but only if you allow your environment and mindset to work with you.

Think of your bedroom as an ecosystem: cool, dark, calm, and tech-free. Adjust it for winter, and you’ll wake up ready to meet the frost with joyous rosy cheeks, not fight it.

Javier A. Porras Gil is a physiotherapy assistant at Chartier Physiotherapy in Sandy Hill