Winter and Sleep: Winter has knocked in North India. Winter may have come late this time but the temperature has dropped so much that people are in need of blankets and quilts. But generally people feel more sleepy during winter season. Laziness increases to such an extent that it is difficult to get up early in the morning and does not feel like getting out of the blanket or quilt. To some extent, it starts affecting your daily routine as well. Have you ever wondered why we sleep more in winter? Why is there more laziness? If you think it’s just because of the cold weather, it’s not.
In fact, the nights are long and the days are short in winter. There is very little sunshine in this season. Due to this, vitamin D deficiency starts in the body. Due to this, the problem of lethargy and excessive sleep starts. Apart from this, there are many other reasons due to which there is difficulty in waking up in winter. Find out what are the reasons why you can’t get out of bed early. Also know what you can do to wake up early in winter?
Melatonin hormone increases
There are many other reasons for oversleeping. Just as one feels lazy in the morning after getting enough sleep during the long winter nights. According to doctors, the level of melatonin hormone in the body increases significantly in winter. Melatonin is responsible for more and deeper sleep. Therefore, due to the increase in the level of this hormone, there is more sleep. An excessive increase in the melatonin hormone disrupts our sleep patterns. Due to this, some people stay lazy all day in winter season.
Why does this hormone increase in winter?
Some doctors say that light stimulates the specific part of our brain where the hormone melatonin is released. It is produced naturally in the body. This causes sleep. When the light dims, the body signals that it’s time to sleep. Melatonin is very low in the morning. This restores energy to the body and removes laziness. But, due to less light in winter, the melatonin effect persists. This is why we stay up late in the morning in winter.
The time table of the body gets disturbed
Human sleep patterns are influenced by the circadian process. Circadian process refers to our body’s internal time table. Each cell does its job accordingly. Many things affect our biological clock. It interacts with many things like environment, temperature, sunlight etc. The entire circadian response depends on it. Changing weather also affects the circadian process. Due to this, our biological clock also starts to undergo slight changes. This is why it also affects bedtime in winter. Due to this, people get more sleep.
Vitamin D deficiency
Going to bed late or having trouble waking up in the morning may seem normal to you, but this is far from the reality. Since the days become shorter and the nights longer in the winter season, not getting enough sunlight can lead to vitamin D deficiency in the body. Due to this we feel more lethargic in winter.
Keep the body warm
When it gets colder, we all start wearing more woolen clothes to keep warm. Sometimes it becomes so much that we are completely covered. Temperatures that are too cold or too hot disrupt your body’s natural sleep process. If we don’t wear very warm clothes, we try to keep the house warm. It has become common to run a heater or warmer for this. Too much messing with your body or your home temperature can disrupt your sleep process.
Overeating and heavy meals
In winter we consume heavy food. Eating comfort food or eating large amounts takes away your body’s energy from digesting that food and makes you feel more sluggish or tired. People also feel that they should eat non-veg as much as possible to stay warm in this season. But the body needs more effort to digest non-veg than eating heavy vegetables. Winter doesn’t mean eating more than your body needs. Yes, you should eat until you are full.
How to avoid excess sleep
Doctors suggest several measures to avoid oversleeping in winter. Doctors say that lack of exercise in winter, habit of eating too much fried or heavy food, poor lifestyle, lack of sun exposure, weak immunity, cold and flu can also cause excessive sleepiness. To avoid oversleeping, try to get as much sunlight as possible during the day. Try to exercise every 30 minutes. Keep yourself busy to avoid daytime sleepiness. Keep the room temperature under control.
You can also try these methods
Avoid eating too much at dinner in winter. In winter it is better to consume green leafy vegetables and seasonal fruits. Avoid consuming protein and carbohydrate foods. Also, drink water at night before going to bed and wake up in the morning as it makes it easier for the body to wake up. Try to set your body clock by going to bed and waking up at the same time a few days in a row. Take a bath immediately after waking up, which will change your body temperature and make you feel active.