With a size of nearly three meters and weighing almost 400 kilograms, Kodiak bears are among the three largest land-dwelling carnivores. When winter arrives on the island of the same name off the coast of Alaska, Kodiak bears slow down their metabolism and enter hibernation. In this way, the powerful animals get through the food-scarce cold season. Nature finds a way to cope. 

Sleep quality suffers

Humans do not experience hibernation like bears. After all, we have enough to eat even in winter. Still, winter fatigue is very real. It is less well known than spring fatigue, yet widespread. The paradox is that in winter we sleep about half an hour longer on average—and still often feel drained, low in energy, and tired during the day. Sleep quality also suffers. We tend to wake up more often at night in winter.

The internal clock is out of syn

Sleep researchers have an explanation for this feeling: the winter daily rhythm with short days, long nights, and a lack of daylight. When it gets dark early outside, many people go to bed earlier even though they are not truly tired. The internal clock falls out of sync due to shorter daylight phases and longer periods of darkness. It shifts out of rhythm. In theory, it would be most restorative to follow the natural rhythm in winter. However, fixed working hours and busy daily schedules prevent this. Artificial light sources also contribute to us not functioning in sync with our internal clock. 

Do not extend sleep duration

Two tips to help you beat winter fatigue: incorporate one or more doses of fresh air into your daily routine—short walks can work wonders. And in the evening, do not go to bed immediately when you first feel tired. Overall sleep duration should remain the same as in other seasons.