If you’re finding it hard to drift off to sleep right now, a new study from researchers at the University of Washington might have pinpointed a potential reason why we struggle to fall asleep during the winter months – and what you can do about it.

According to the study, published in the Journal of Pineal Research last month, not getting enough natural light during the day in winter can lead to issues when we’re trying to nod off.

To investigate how the change in the seasons might impact our sleep patterns, the researchers fitted over 500 university students in the city of Seattle in Washington, USA, with wrist trackers which monitored both their sleep patterns and their exposure to light over the four seasons.

They found that while the students slept for roughly the same amount of time throughout the year, they would fall asleep later during the autumn and winter, even when following a “school schedule” during term time.

Struggling to drift off to sleep in the winter months? You might not be getting enough natural light