Are you more sleepy in the winter? Until recently, it was thought thathibernationwas unique to certain animals, but a February 2023 study found that seasons have an impact on humans’ sleeping patterns too, reports CNN. So it’s not unusual to feel like you wake up more tired than usual during the colder months, even when you sleep just as many hours as you normally would.

Scientists have the stats to prove it: The sleep study, conducted at Berlin’s St. Hedwig Hospital, found that the 188 participants got an extra hour of shut-eye during the winter, which despite not being statistically significant, meant 30 more minutes of REM activity — an “essential stage of sleep” which is when our body gets a chance to regenerate.

Our circadian rhythm might be to blame: Our bodies are told when to be active and when towind down based on sunlight. When it’s time for bed, we release melatonin but with more darkness during the winter that happens earlier and induces sleepiness. The quality of our sleep is also affected with less sunlight causing more REM sleep in your body’s attempt to make up for it.

Okay, maybe we don’t really need to hibernate in a literal sense,but the winter months call for more sleep. Lots of light exposure to avoid the winter blues and longer slumbers are researcher and professor Carleara Weiss’ recommendations. In tandem, neuroscientist Viviana Greco told the Washington Post that she recommends wearing an eye mask to bed to make sure you’re in as much darkness as needed for a good night of rest. These two changes could make you more alert throughout the day.

But don’t get caught up in the gimmicky sleep-inducing concoctions though — like the viral “sleepy girl mocktail.” Gendered-naming aside, this beverage that claims to have sleep-inducing qualities is a mix of magnesium, seltzer, and tart cherry juice and has been taking the internet by storm — but experts aren’t so convinced, says the New York Times. Tart cherries do contain melatonin, but nowhere near the amounts our regular gummy or pill sleep aids have. The effectiveness of magnesium is also debatable, shares the article.

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