Tired? Blame the Weather.

  

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Here at the Atlanta Sleep Medicine Clinic, the weather has been quite gloomy lately. Rainy. Dark. Windy. With the sky finally clearing up and sunlight peaking through today, people just seem more energized than they do when nasty weather strikes.

Can the weather really impact how rested or alert you feel?

The answer seems to be both yes and no.

Yes- the weather can impact your energy. But, it tends to impact how you feel about your energy level more than the energy level itself. In other words, you are more than likely just as well rested on a sunny day as you are on a dark and gloomy one. But on the dismal day you won’t feel like getting out of bed. The human body naturally responds well to sunlight and warmer temperatures. The feelings of being sleepy on a cloudy day have less to do with atmospheric conditions and more to do with the fact that, when huddled under your covers, you are warm and there is less light streaming through your windows alerting you that it’s time to get up.

But what about people with Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD)? Aren’t they affected by the weather? Again, while the repression of sunlight plays a part in SAD, the real culprit is the mind. Unless you are Edgar Allen Poe, most people would agree that it is harder to maintain a cheery disposition when staring out at dull skies and bare trees than it is when the sun is shining and the landscape is lush.

What can you do to stay awake even when there seems to be no sunlight in sight? Check out our sleep hygiene video for tips or visit our Website.