7 Sneaky Reasons You’re Not Sleeping (No, It’s Not the Phone)

Though it’s still quite cold in many regions of the U.S., spring has officially sprung, bringing a much-needed change in seasons after a long, dreary winter. However, with this seasonal shift often comes sleep disruptions. While you might blame doomscrolling or late-night texting as the culprit, your poor sleep score might have more complex reasoning.

Here are seven unusual reasons you’re not sleeping. (This time, we’re not blaming the darn phone.)

1. Seasonal Allergies

I don’t know about you, but my seasonal allergies on the East Coast have been brutal lately. In fact, it’s been weeks since I’ve slept a full night.

“For many people, hay fever is seen as a daytime issue, from itchy eyes to sneezing to congestion. But its impact at night is usually overlooked,” says Dr. Sunny Nayee, medical director at Medicann. “When pollen levels rise, your airways can become inflamed, particularly when lying flat.”

According to Dr. Nayee, common symptoms of pollen allergies include mouth breathing, shallow breathing, and small nighttime awakenings.

“Even if you don’t wake up fully, these ‘micro-arousals’ interfere with sleep cycles, reducing sleep and REM sleep,” he adds. “These stages are key for memory processing and restoration. It’s common to think you have slept for eight hours, but the quality of that sleep can actually be reduced.”

2. Disrupted Circadian Rhythm

As the days grow longer, our internal clocks might need time to adjust to the changes in daylight.

“Spring brings a rapid rise in daylight hours, which directly affects your internal body clock,” says Nayee. “Your circadian rhythm depends heavily on light exposure to regulate melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleep. When daylight extends into the evening, melatonin is then delayed.”

As a result, you might feel less tired around your usual bedtime, he says. When this occurs, your body often plays “catch-up” to make up for lost sleep.

“Over time, this creates a ‘social jet lag’ effect, where your body clock is misaligned with your schedule.”

3. Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

As the days get longer, we might crave later bedtimes or more socialization.

“Even without screens, behavior plays a huge role in sleep disruption, especially in spring,” says Nayee. “Brighter, longer evenings can psychologically trick us into feeling like we have more time in the day.”

As a result, we might stay up later to “reclaim” our free time—you know, the time we have off from work or other obligations, which isn’t much for most of us.

“The behavior, known as revenge bedtime procrastination, is usually subconscious, but its impact is progressive,” Nayee explains. “It’s not one late night that causes the issues; it’s the repeated pattern of pushing sleep back by 30-60 minutes that creates sleep debt over time.”

4. Seasonal Hormone Shifts

According to Nayee, our hormones shift along with the seasons. Naturally, this can impact the quality and quantity of our sleep.

“In spring, increased sunlight can alter melatonin (the sleep hormone), serotonin (mood and wakefulness), and cortisol (stress and alertness),” he explains. “This shift can make sleep feel more fragmented and lighter.”

5. Temperature Fluctuations

If your room temperature fluctuates throughout the night, it might disturb your sleep.

“Your body needs to cool down by around 1-2°C to start and maintain sleep, but spring’s inconsistent temperatures can interfere with this process,” Nayee says. “One of the most overlooked sleep disruptors is temperature rising and falling.”

6. Lifestyle Shifts

With the change in seasons comes a change in lifestyle habits. For example, most of us become more active as the temperatures rise and the sun sets later.

“Spring usually changes daily habits, and while they can feel positive, they can silently affect sleep,” Nayee explains. “People become more social, spend longer outdoors, and often eat and drink later.”

7. The Pressure to ‘Feel Better’

I think I can speak for most of us when I say that spring fever is a real phenomenon. After being cooped up indoors all dreary winter, it’s normal to crave sunshine and socialization. However, with this desire often comes the expectation of feeling better, whether physically or emotionally, once the seasons change.

“Spring is often linked with positivity, productivity, and renewal, but this expectation can have unintended effects,” says Nayee. “There’s a known narrative that spring should make you feel motivated and energized. If reality doesn’t match these expectations, it can cause restlessness at night, low-level anxiety, or overthinking before sleep. That small pressure can trigger the stress response, keeping your mind awake when it should be relaxing.”

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