How To Prevent Winter Tiredness

The Scourge Of Winter Tiredness

Winter tiredness can be anything from a mild inconvenience to completely debilitating. One minute the sun is shining and you've got a spring in your step and then bang everything changes. As the nights draw in and early morning frosts appear, many of us can feel the dreaded winter tiredness creep in. Sometimes, it can feel like winter just gobbles you up and spits you out, a former shadow of yourself, at the start of March. Whilst winter tiredness can feel both relentless and inevitable there are steps that you can put in place to make life a little bit sunnier. Here, at Beds On Legs, we've drawn together a number of ways that can help to ease your winter tiredness.

Stick To A Sleep Routine

Indeed, many of us wish we could hibernate in winter. However, for most people this is an impossibility. With jobs and families to take care of, snuggling under the covers for winter isn't a realistic possibility. Pretty rubbish, we know! With this is in mind, the best thing to do is stick to a regular sleep routine. This means going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same same time. Unfortunately this also includes weekends, baa humbug!

Whilst it might feel tempting to get those extra zzz's in on the weekend the effect can be counter productive. This is because in the long run you'll just end up feeling that dreaded winter tiredness more acutely Monday to Friday. However, we do recommend that you allow yourself more time in the land of nod. So, for example, if you normally do well on 6 or 7 hours the rest of the year then allow yourself an hour or two more in winter. See, it's not all bad news!

Get Your Daily Dose Of Light

One of the key reasons we get more tired in winter is due to the lack of light. Indeed, the lack of light in winter means your brain produces more melatonin. This hormone is responsible for that sleepy feeling that makes keeping your eyes open feel like mission impossible. Therefore, as soon as you wake up in the morning, you should open all your window coverings to lap up as much light as possible.

Ideally, when it is light outside, you should get out as much as possible. Even on an overcast day you'd be surprised how much being outside can actually help. If you work indoors, then try to take a lunchtime stroll or a jog if you're feeling enthusiastic.

If you still feel like you need more light despite implementing the above then you could consider a light box. These boxes are believed to ease winter tiredness by stimulating natural light. The best time to use them is first thing in the morning before you start your day. You can buy a light box here.

Get Some Exercise

When you feel the dreaded winter tiredness start to creep in the last thing you feel like doing is exercising. Whilst the call of the sofa can be strong, this is where you need to dig deep. It may feel counter intuitive, but getting the adrenaline pumping can go a long way to staving of winter tiredness. If you struggle to leave the house once you've got in then try to timetable your exercise before you even get home. Alternatively you could try exercising fist thing in the morning. Make it a habit and your body and mind will thank you for it.