Why spring can sometimes make us tired
When it's early, we're tired. For some of us, this is also true when it's early in the year. This is when spring fever sets in, plaguing us with symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, irritability and headaches - things we really don't need at this beautiful time of year.
Where does spring fever come from?
There are several explanations for this question. One is the change in climate in spring: As temperatures rise after the winter cold, the body reacts by dilating blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. The result: we feel tired.
On the other hand, our bodies change their hormone balance. Doctors suspect that the imbalance of two important hormones may be a trigger for spring fever. While melatonin makes us sleep well, serotonin activates us and is responsible for a good mood as the "happiness hormone".
How do our hormones come into balance?
Important to know: Serotonin is increased by exposure to light, so it falls behind in the dark season - and has to catch up with our sleep hormone melatonin in the spring. It takes quite a while for us - and our hormone levels - to get back into balance after this disguised hibernation and say goodbye to spring fever!
Does spring fever kill us all?
Some people who complain about the symptoms of spring fever look at you in surprise or even disbelief - because not everyone is affected to the same extent. For example, people who are sensitive to the weather, people who already have low blood pressure and older people feel the effects more often and more severely. The general rule is that the fitter you are, the easier it will be to kick start spring.
How can I wake up quicker?
The extent to which we are affected by spring fever and its consequences is largely in our own hands. The following tips and tricks will help and be a real pick-me-up for anyone who wants to counteract the phenomenon.
The magic word is "get active": the more active we are, the faster we will be able to leave spring fever behind us.
- Exercising in the fresh air is good for our blood pressure and keeps us fit - whether you do sports outside or go for a walk.
- Baking in the sun, or at least daylight, stimulates the production of serotonin
- Fresh fruit and vegetables help our metabolism
- Having a shower or going to the sauna is an excellent way of exercising our blood vessels
We can also benefit from supplementing our diet, for example with an extract from the African black bean, also known as griffonia. It contains a direct precursor of the 'happiness hormone' serotonin, which can be used to restore our springtime hormone levels more quickly.