Winter, Sleep, and the Aches We Wake Up With

Have you noticed more aches and pains in your body this winter?

Especially when you wake up?

I started asking myself that question recently because something shifted for me. I sleep well — most nights, I sleep soundly. Falling asleep isn’t my problem. Staying asleep isn’t either.

But in the mornings?

My body had something to say.

This winter, I started waking up with sore shoulders and more stiffness than usual. At first, I brushed it off — weather, aging, just one of those things. But then I slowed down and paid attention.

What I realized surprised me.

Sleeping well doesn’t always mean sleeping supportively

I’m a stomach sleeper. Always have been. That’s how my body relaxes, and honestly, that’s where I end up no matter how I start the night — on my back, on my side, pillows everywhere… I still end up on my belly.

What changed this winter wasn’t my sleep — it was how my body was positioned for hours.

I noticed I sleep with my arms crossed or overhead. When I wake up sore, and then fall back asleep and wake up sore again, that tells me something important: my shoulders are getting irritated during sleep, not from what I did the day before.

That awareness alone changed how I think about rest.

Instead of trying to force myself to sleep differently, I started asking:

Where do my arms land at night? What joints feel stiff when I wake up? Does the soreness ease once I start moving?

Sometimes the answer isn’t “you didn’t sleep enough.”

Sometimes it’s “your body rested… but it rested twisted.”

Winter bodies feel everything louder

Winter has a way of settling into the body — especially if you live with arthritis, nerve sensitivity, or joint issues. Cold doesn’t just stay outside. It shows up in hips, hands, shoulders, and backs.

For me, my hands have been hurting more this year, with noticeable weakness. My shoulders followed. Paying attention helped me see the connection instead of treating everything as separate problems.

Warmth as care, not indulgence

One thing that has helped me tremendously this winter is heat — especially at night.

I use an electric blanket that automatically shuts off, and it has been a game changer for my hips. The warmth helps my body settle, eases stiffness, and lets my nervous system relax instead of staying guarded against the cold.

It’s not about overheating — it’s about comfort and support.

If you live with arthritis, winter may be a season where your body needs a little extra kindness:

warmth before bed gentle movement before getting up small adjustments instead of pushing through

Gratitude matters too

One thing I’m deeply grateful for — especially in winter — is my new knees. My knees don’t ache the way they once did, and I never take that for granted. Winter reminds me of what healing has done, not just what still needs care.

An invitation, not instructions:

I’m not here to tell anyone how they should sleep.

I’m just inviting you to notice.

Have you felt more aches this winter?

Do you wake up sore even when you sleep well?

Could your sleep position be playing a role?

What’s one small shift you could try to help your body wake up with less stiffness?

Sometimes the smallest adjustments — a pillow, a blanket, a pause — can change how we greet the morning.

This winter taught me that listening matters.

And my body? It’s been giving me clues all along.