Scientists from the Charité Medical University in Berlin found that people spend more time in REM sleep in the winter. Research published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Studies in which people self-assess their sleep duration have shown that sleep duration increases in winter. In the new study, the researchers used more objective data: sleep duration and quality were measured using polysomnography.
Due to sleep problems, scientists said that St. They analyzed data from 188 patients who underwent polysomnography at Hedwig’s Hospital. They found that insomnia was diagnosed more often towards the end of the year.
Although the patients were in an urban environment with low levels of natural light and high levels of light pollution, their sleep had distinct seasonal patterns. Total sleep time did not change in winter, but people spent more time in REM sleep: 30 minutes more than in summer. REM sleep is known to be directly related to circadian rhythms, which are affected by changes in lighting.
The scientists believe their results should be confirmed in healthy people who don’t have sleep problems. They suggest that seasonal changes may be even more pronounced in healthy populations.