Why Is My Sleep Worse in Autumn? How Darker Days, Stress and Sleep Anxiety Can Affect Insomnia

22 hours ago

5 min read

As the mornings become darker and the evenings draw in, you might notice changes in your sleep. Perhaps getting up feels harder, you feel tired earlier, or you go to bed exhausted only to find yourself wide awake.

If you have been wondering, “Why can't I sleep when I feel so tired?”, it can help to look at both your daily routine and what happens when you start worrying about sleep.

“Autumn insomnia” is a description people may use for sleep problems at this time of year, rather than a separate diagnosis. Autumn does not automatically cause insomnia. Changes in daylight, routines and stress may, however, influence how you sleep.

Why can sleep feel different in autumn?

Think about what changes in your own life as autumn arrives. Are you spending less time outdoors? Has work become busier? Are you settling onto the sofa earlier, dozing in the evening or spending longer in bed?

These changes may affect the signals that help organise your sleep and waking. For some people, a disrupted routine is temporary. For others, concern about a few difficult nights becomes an additional problem.

It is useful to notice patterns without assuming that darker days mean poor sleep is inevitable.

How does daylight affect the body clock?

Your body has an internal timing system, often called the body clock or circadian rhythm. Light and darkness help it stay aligned with the day–night cycle.

Light also influences the timing of melatonin, a hormone involved in preparing the body for sleep. Bright light late in the evening can delay this signal. Alongside the body clock, sleep pressure builds as you spend time awake. Both processes help influence when you feel ready to sleep. [1]

During autumn, you may have fewer opportunities for daylight, especially if you leave home early and spend the day indoors. Getting outside during daylight, particularly in the morning when possible, can help maintain a clearer difference between daytime and evening.

Darker evenings do not mean you need to go to bed as soon as it gets dark.

Why can I feel tired but still not sleep?

Feeling drained is not always the same as feeling sleepy. You may have little energy but still find your mind busy with tomorrow's tasks, an uncomfortable conversation or unfinished work.

If you are coping with stress (https://www.alignedmindset.co.uk/stress-therapy-harrow) or anxiety (https://www.alignedmindset.co.uk/anxiety-therapy-harrow), that sense of alertness may continue into bedtime.

You might then start checking whether sleep is happening: “Am I relaxed enough? Why am I still thinking? How long have I been awake?”

This can turn bedtime into something you feel you must get right. Recognising that pattern gives you something useful to work on. [2]

How does worrying about sleep make insomnia worse?

Sleep anxiety is worry about falling asleep, staying asleep or coping after a poor night. For example, you might wake during the night and think: “Tomorrow will be a disaster.” You check the time, calculate the hours remaining and become increasingly frustrated. The worry makes it harder to settle, which seems to confirm that something is wrong.

Over time, bed can become associated with wakefulness and frustration. This is a recognised pattern in insomnia; it does not mean the difficulty is your fault. [2]

A more balanced response might be “I would prefer to be asleep, but I do not need to solve tomorrow right now. I can respond to how I actually feel in the morning.” The aim is to reduce the pressure surrounding sleep, without promising yourself that a particular thought will make you fall asleep.

Does spending more time in bed help?

Not necessarily. Going to bed much earlier or staying in bed longer may increase the opportunity to lie awake worrying. For persistent insomnia, this can weaken the connection between bed and sleep.

A consistent getting-up time and going to bed when sleepy are useful starting points. [3]

Some CBT-I programmes also carefully adjust the amount of time spent in bed. This needs an individual assessment and appropriate guidance; it is not an instruction to cut your sleep drastically. [4]

What can I do if my sleep is getting worse?

Choose one or two manageable changes rather than creating a bedtime routine you feel you must follow perfectly.

Get outside in daylight. A morning walk or daylight break can be a practical place to start.
Keep a reasonably consistent getting-up time. Try to avoid repeatedly shifting your morning routine after difficult nights.
Make space to wind down. Reading, quiet music or another gentle activity can help you transition out of the working day.
Be mindful of the caffeine and alcohol intake. Caffeine can interfere with sleep, while alcohol may leave sleep more disrupted later in the night.
Reduce clock-checking. If seeing the time starts a round of calculations, turn the clock away.
Step out of the struggle. If you are lying awake becoming frustrated, get up if it is safe to do so, keep the lighting low and do something quiet. Return to bed when sleepy. You do not need to time this precisely. [3, 4, 5]

If sleep problems persist or affect your ability to cope, speak to your GP. Other contributors can include menopause symptoms, pain, medication and sleep disorders. Mention loud snoring, gasping or breathing pauses during sleep. Do not drive when sleepy. [3]

How can CBT help insomnia?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, usually called CBT-I, is a structured treatment recommended as a first option for long-term insomnia. It goes beyond general advice about good sleep habits. [4]

It can involve understanding your sleep pattern, changing unhelpful predictions about poor sleep, strengthening the connection between bed and sleep, and adjusting sleep routines. The approach is tailored to your circumstances.

For example, “If I sleep badly, I will be completely unable to cope” can be explored against your actual experience. You may still have a difficult day, while finding that some of the feared consequences do not happen.

You can read about the broader approach on my Cognitive Behavioural Therapy page (https://www.alignedmindset.co.uk/cognitive-behavioural-therapy).

Can hypnotherapy support sleep?

Hypnotherapy may be used as an additional part of a sleep treatment plan. Research has found mixed results, and the evidence is less established than for CBT-I. It should not be presented as a guaranteed cure or a replacement for appropriate assessment. [4, 5]

In my Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy approach, you can find more information here (https://www.alignedmindset.co.uk/cogitive-behavioural-hypnotherapy), focused attention, imagination and suggestion are used to practise helpful responses. For example, we might rehearse responding more calmly to night-time waking or reducing the urge to monitor sleep.

You remain an active participant. The aim is to develop skills you can use, without making relaxation another test you have to pass.

Insomnia therapy in Harrow and online

If bedtime has become something you dread, support is available.

At Aligned Mindset Therapy, I offer insomnia therapy in Harrow and online across the UK. We can explore your sleep pattern, the pressures you are facing and the thoughts or habits that may be keeping the problem going.

My integrative approach may draw on CBT-based strategies, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy and work around anxiety and stress, depending on your needs.

Find out more about insomnia therapy in Harrow and online (https://www.alignedmindset.co.uk/insomnia-therapy-harrow) and get in touch to discuss support.