When the Clocks Go Back: Protecting Your Sleep and Mood This Winter
This Sunday, 25 October, the clocks go back an hour. On paper it's a gift: an extra hour in bed. In reality, it's often the point in the year when things start to feel a bit heavier. The evenings close in, the mornings stay dark, and sleep, mood and anxiety can all take a knock.
If you notice that in yourself, there's nothing wrong with you. It's a very human response to less daylight, and there's a lot you can do to help yourself through it.
Why the darker months can affect us
Our body clock is set largely by light, and morning light matters most. As the days shorten, that signal gets weaker. For some of us, sleep becomes lighter or more broken, energy drops and our mood dips.
For most people this is mild and passes. For others it's more noticeable. The NHS recognises seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons and is usually worse in winter. If you're struggling or having thoughts of harming yourself, you can call Samaritans free, day or night, on 116 123. Hypnotherapy works alongside medical care, never instead of it.
Sleep, stress and the anxious brain
In my first session with clients, I spend some time explaining how the brain works when we're stressed, because understanding it takes away a lot of the fear.
The way I explain it is fairly simple. When stress builds up, the older, survival-focused part of the brain steps in more often. That's the part that worries, imagines the worst and scans for danger. It isn't much good at solving problems, but it's very good at keeping you awake at three in the morning.
Good-quality sleep is one of the ways we process the day and let that stress settle. So when sleep suffers, anxiety tends to rise, and when anxiety rises, sleep gets harder. It becomes a loop, and the darker months can give that loop a nudge.
The good news is that loops work both ways. A small improvement in one place tends to help the other.
Simple things that genuinely help
None of these are magic, but they're all in line with mainstream sleep and wellbeing advice.
Get outside in the morning. Even on a grey Belfast day, daylight outdoors is far brighter than the light in your kitchen or office. A short walk before work, or your morning coffee at the back door, helps anchor your body clock. If you're local to me in south and east Belfast, a loop of Ormeau Park or a stretch of the Lagan towpath does the job nicely.
Keep your wake-up time steady. It's tempting to enjoy the extra hour on Sunday and then drift later all week. Getting up at roughly the same time every day, weekends included, is one of the most reliable ways to steady your sleep.
Keep moving. Regular physical activity is good for both mood and sleep. It doesn't have to be the gym. A brisk walk counts.
Go easy on caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine later in the day can keep you awake, and while a drink might help you nod off, alcohol tends to make sleep more broken later in the night.
Give yourself a wind-down. Dim the lights, put the phone down and do something calm for the last half hour or so before bed. Your brain needs a signal that the day is over.
Notice what's going well. This is the heart of solution-focused work. Before you go to sleep, think back over your day and pick out a few things that went well, however small. A good chat, a walk, a job finally done. It's a simple habit, but it gently turns your attention away from scanning for problems and towards what's working.
How solution-focused hypnotherapy can help
Solution-focused hypnotherapy doesn't dwell on what's wrong or dig through the past. Instead, we focus on where you want to be and the small, practical steps that will get you there.
Each session has two parts. First, we talk about what's been better since we last met and what you'd like to see next. Then comes the hypnosis itself, which is a deeply relaxed, focused state. You're aware and in control the whole time, and for most people it just feels very calm and pleasant.
Between sessions, you'll have a relaxation recording to listen to at home, ideally as you settle down at night. That little bedtime routine can be helpful in its own right.
I'll always be honest about what hypnotherapy is and isn't. It's not a magic wand, it isn't a cure-all and it does ask you to take an active part. But for many people living with anxiety, stress and poor sleep, it's a calm, practical way to start feeling more like themselves again.
Ready for a lighter winter?
If the darker evenings are already starting to weigh on you, there's no need to wait until January to do something about it. I offer a free telephone consultation of up to 30 minutes, so we can chat about what's going on and whether hypnotherapy is right for you. There's no pressure and no obligation.
You can call, text or WhatsApp me on 07846 382768, or get in touch through my contact page. I see clients at my clinic at 2C Mount Merrion Avenue, Belfast, and online. If you'd like to know what other people have made of working with me, you can read my Google reviews.
Here's to a calmer, better-rested winter.
Andrew Jamison, Binary Hypnotics
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