Why Are We Tired Throughout The Winter Months?

It's not just a feeling - there's science behind the reasons why winter seems to drag us down, mentally and physically.

Less Sunlight

This is actually true. With the days being shorter, more cloudy and snowy days, we get less sunlight than we would in the spring and summer. Less sunlight messes with the melatonin production in our brains (the good stuff that helps us stay on a natural sleep schedule). That's why it can be harder to get out of bed, and easy to fall asleep earlier in the evening. Feeling tired at 7PM? That's why.

We're Less Active

When it's cold it's easy to stay put. No one wants to go outside in the snow, or deal with bad roads. Plus, with the lack of sunlight we're already feeling tired, and it's harder to get motivated to do anything. But a body at rest, stays at rest. As hard as it sounds, you have to get out to fight feeling tired.

Comfort Food All The Way

There's something about cold weather that just drives us to all that delicious, filling, and not-good-for-us food. Second slice of molten-chocolate cake? Yes, please! It's effortless to get carried away in the winter months. It's not just sweets though, filling up on bread and pasta can give you that sluggish feeling, too. Although it's a hard time to incorporate fruits and veggies into meals, but doing so will help you feel better.

Winter weather can really drag us down, but the best way to fight it is to exercise, get enough sleep, and make sure to get fruits and vegetables in your diet. It's the same things we should be doing all year, but it's just harder in the winter.