In new research that will surprise no one who has ever lived in a colder climate, scientists have found residents of snowier states tend to sleep for a little longer during winter months than those in sunnier places.
The findings, based on analysis of data from the popular slumber-tracking smart-phone app called Sleep Cycle, indicate people who live in snowy Northwestern states — including Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota — spent the longest time in bed (7 hours and 20 minutes a night, on average), the
LiveScience Website reports.
That's about 13 minutes longer, on average, than for people who live in the Southeastern states — Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida — who spent 7 hours and 7 minutes in bed.
People in Hawaii got the least amount sleep in the study (7 hours), while those in Colorado got the most (7 hours and 23 minutes).
Researchers surveyed sleep trends involving more than 140,000 people in the United States between January 1 and 31.
Brant Hasler, a sleep expert and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh who was not involved in the research, suggested people sleep longer in colder conditions because a reduction in daylight hours in the wintertime affects the body’s internal circadian clocks.
"Many people report that they feel tired and want to sleep more during the winter," Hasler said.
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