Do you feel like you struggle to get enough good quality sleep in the winter? There’s a reason for that…

We’ve all heard of the ‘seasonal blues’. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as ‘winter depression’ isn’t the only reason why we often feel worse during the winter months. Reduced exposure to sunlight can negatively affect our circadian rhythm which, in turn, can lead to feelings of being more tired and less happy. Without enough exposure to sunlight, this can affect how our bodies produce melatonin (the sleep hormone). 

Lower levels of vitamin D due to less exposure to sunlight in the winter can also negatively impact your mood and sleep cycle. In the UK, around 80-90% of our vitamin D comes from sunlight, with just 10-20% coming from our diets. Research shows around one in six adults in the UK have low levels of vitamin D. Not having enough vitamin D can be linked to poor quality sleep, shorter sleep duration, and waking up more frequently during the night. 

With shorter days and less natural light, winter months can leave us experiencing poorer quality sleep, many people are turning to alternative ways to tackle sleep problems and promote healthier, more sustainable sleep routines.

Hypnotherapy Directory reported a 67% increase in people searching for sleep problems in February 2024 compared to the same period the previous year, and a 57% increase in searches for sleep problems between October to December 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. With more people searching for complementary methods to help tackle sleep problems, we explain more about how hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis can help support better sleep.

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy for better sleep

Hypnotherapy can offer a gentle way of promoting healthier sleeping habits and addressing other issues that may be having a negative impact on your sleep, such as high levels of stress or anxiety. 

Working with a hypnotherapist to support better sleep can help you challenge unhelpful thought patterns and reactions to your sleep problems. You might find yourself becoming more anxious and on edge the more you worry about your problems sleeping, which in turn can create a cycle of negative thoughts and feelings around sleep. 

A hypnotherapist can help introduce you to relaxation techniques that can promote mindfulness, can show you calming breathing exercises, and simple ways to promote better sleep hygiene around bedtime routines. A hypnotherapist might also introduce you to self-hypnosis techniques to help you continue to promote new, positive thoughts around sleep and relaxation.

We spoke to Hypnotherapy Directory member Jacqueline Carson to find out more about how hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis can help with sleep.

“Self-hypnosis is a gentle yet transformative method that taps into the power of your subconscious to guide your mind and body into a state of relaxation. 

“Begin by lying in bed or sitting comfortably. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, slowing it down with each inhale and exhale. Visualise yourself slowly and gently walking down a staircase. Feel the sensation of going down, drifting and floating. Once relaxed, introduce a post-hypnotic suggestion, such as: ‘As soon as my head touches the pillow, my body will feel heavy, my mind calm, and I will drift effortlessly into deep, restorative sleep.’  Continue to feel sensations of drifting and floating down.”

Struggling to sleep? Try this guided self-hypnosis routine from hypnotherapist Jo Penfold.

Sleep and nutrition

According to the National Sleep Foundation, what we eat – and our eating habits – can have an impact on how deep and restorative our sleep is. Getting too much sugar in our diets can lead to waking more frequently while eating certain kinds of food close to bed can lead to trouble falling asleep and poorer quality sleep.

Making sure you are getting enough vitamin D, and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, foods high in fat, and spicy foods can all be helpful in ensuring a better night’s sleep. Having foods high in vitamin B is also thought to be able to help regulate your body’s melatonin, which regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle and may be able to help promote better sleep.