The Most Miserable Day Of The Year (Statistically)

Do the cold, dark days of winter get you down? If so, you’re not alone. While the winter months — and especially holiday season — can bring joy to many, it’s also the time when Americans are most likely to experience the coldest and darkest days of the year. We set out to find out exactly when residents of each state could expect to experience the coldest, darkest day of the year. (The data below gave us the day with the greatest mix of both, not necessarily the single coldest day in that state, for example.)

At Sleepopolis, we really value sleep (it’s why we’ve conducted literally hundreds of mattress reviews and write weekly on the latest in sleep news and science). But while it might sound like the cold & dark days of winter are great for snoozing, they’re often some of the hardest periods to get optimal rest due to a combination of internal and external factors. Unusually dark days can have an impact on our circadian rhythms, for example, which can make it challenging to get enough restful sleep. That’s not to say it’s impossible to get good rest during that time period; it’s just something we like to be extra aware of. Despite the conventional wisdom, colder weather doesn’t automatically bring better sleep!

Want to know when that coldest and darkest day tends to occur in your state? Want to hazard a guess before finding out? Just scroll over the map below to see!

Created by Sleepopolis

We’re also curious as to your personal experience with cold + dark and rest. Do you find that you sleep better or worse during the winter months? Does warmer weather impact your sleep more than cooler weather? And do you tend to change your sleep habits during the winter? If so, how?

Let us know in the comments below!

Logan Block

Logan is the former content director of Sleepopolis. As content director, he reviewed new mattresses every week and curated the comparisons, best of pages, and video guides on the site. Logan perfected his method by personally testing over 200 different mattresses, so he’s not only able to discern the overall vibe of a specific bed, but to contextualize its feel within the bed-in-a-box market as a whole.