spring fatigue Archive - Simply Healthy Sleep - The online-magazine for your perfect sleep experience

From hibernation to spring fatigue: as soon as we’ve overcome hibernation we are caught up by spring fatigue. You’re not really get it going – instead of high spirits, mood swings arise. You are feeling listless and tired. But, don’t worry, there are some simple things that help you to overcome spring fatigue.

What is helping?

With a well-balanced nutrition, sufficient sleep as well as regular movement in fresh air your body soon well be at full speed.

Nutrition

The hormonal change in spring tires your body. Therefore, try to support your organism with healthy and balanced food. Better eat freshly made and light meals instead of ready and lush ones as well as sweets. Use foods full of vitamins, minerals and trace elements like fresh seasonal and regional fruits and vegetables, pulses, nuts, sprouts and whole meal products.

Fluid balance

Support your vital functions with sufficient fluids. Tiredness might also be a symptom of an insufficient fluid intake. Therefore, drink at least 1.5 to 2 l of water or herbal teas per day.

Circulation

Regular hot and cold showers lower your sensitivity to temperature fluctuations in spring. They also activate your circulation.

Endurance and fitness

Regular exercises like jogging or biking in fresh air increase your endurance and fitness. Furthermore, your endogenous defense becomes strengthened. Plus, you absorb a lot of daylight and fill up with the happy hormone serotonin.

Sleep

Be careful to get sufficient sleep. Especially healthy and restful sleep. Healthy sleep is decisive for regeneration of body, mind and soul. The suitable sleep surrounding, an orthopedic sleeping underlay as well as a regular sleep-wake-cycle are perfect preconditions for a fit and rested start into a new day.

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Birds chirp, the power of sun brings up the first flowers, temperatures rise. Spring announces itself from its most beautiful side. But, are we humans saying good bye to hibernation, too, is spring fever arising? Well, some of us experience otherwise – for several spring starts with constant yawning. Instead of feeling full of energy they are tired, exhausted and listless. They suffer under the phenomenon of spring fatigue.

What’s it all about?

Spring fatigue has not yet been adequately researched. But, it is not a disease more like an impairment of well-being. Especially noticeable in latitudes where the change of seasons is characterized by perceptible changes in light and temperature. For many, the seasonal change is a physical as well a mental burden. The symptoms range from listlessness, increased sleep need, sensitivity to changes in the weather, circulation problems and dizziness up to irritability and head ache.

Triggers of spring fatigue

Presumably, a combination of several things is responsible. Outer conditions like light and temperature regulate our hormonal balance as well as our metabolism. During the cold and dark months of winter our body temperature slightly decreases and our blood pressure increases. Furthermore, more of the sleeping hormone melatonin is released. In spring, our body temperature rises with the warmer temperatures. As a consequence, our vessels widen and our blood pressure decreases.

Also, more sunlight leads to an increased production of the happy hormone serotonin. Serotonin cares for more power and a good mood. Since melatonin needs darkness, its release is inhibited by the longer and brighter days. This hormonal change is exhausting and unbalances our body. Further reasons are large temperature differences between night and day as well as the changeable spring-weather. Especially people with cardiovascular problems as well as rheumatic people act sensitively to the climatic conditions.

How long does spring fever last?

Symptoms of spring fever mainly occur from March to May. The duration differs from person to person. Normally, our body adapts to the new temperature and light conditions within a month. In the next article find some tips against spring fatigue.