Hyderabad: Oversleeping during the winter or monsoon season may not be due to laziness. People sleep for varying durations during different seasons, and even the quality of sleep varies, owing to biological and psychological variables, according to medical experts.
According to Dr Virinchi Sharma, consultant psychiatrist, the quality of sleep is affected by the amount of exposure to sunlight. The body needs sunlight to produce the hormone melatonin, which signals the brain to sleep. More sunlight in the summer correlates to better quality of sleep, he said.
“Regarding quantity of sleep, in cold or cloudy climates, the lack of sunlight may cause people to wake up later than in summers, even in the presence of curtains. The body feeling that comfort within the quilt because of the external climate also makes people sleep longer in winters,” he added.
Dr Charan Teja, a consultant neuropsychiatrist, also stated that people sleep longer in the winter but “deeper and better” in the summer. Melatonin is produced while it is “dark and inhibited when it is light”, he stated. “As days are shorter in winters, melatonin is produced earlier and also initiates sleep earlier. However, it can only make people sleep early but not make them sleep well,” he claimed.
Further, cold or cloudy weather can have an impact on people's mental health. Dr. Sharma said colder climates experience higher episodes of psychiatric illnesses and depressions. “Not having that bright light reduces activation of the brain,” he said. Dr Charan Teja prescribed bright light therapy coupled with vitamin D to individuals suffering from seasonal depression.
