Feeling sleepy, peckish and a bit low?

Don’t worry, it is only hibernation mode to help us prepare for winter. 

The Autumn Equinox, 23rd September, marked 12 hours daylight and 12 hours of dark. Now days are shortening until only 7 hours 49 minutes of daylight (just over 16 hours of daylight in June) on 21st December and this affects us. It brings about important changes in our environment which in turn impacts us on every level. More so today than ever before. The lack of natural light affects our sleep, our appetites and our moods.

Weight Gain

We eat more carb-laden foods; nourishing, comforting root vegetables, stews and thick soups. We also have the traditional festivities, office parties etc. and less chance to be outside to burn off the calories means we tend to put on more weight in the winter. Feeling tired also makes us reach out for energy-giving sweets and treats, beware!

Moods

Lack of natural sunlight is known to affect many people, causing them to feel low, dejected and depressed. This is a recognised problem, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and it is believed that one in three in the UK suffer from this.

Colds, Viruses and your Immune System

When the weather is colder, we turn up the central heating which provides warmer, drier air.  This artificial environment denatures our immune system, reducing the efficiency of our mucous membranes (an essential part of immunity) making us more susceptible to colds and viruses.

Sleep

Poor sleep is a much bigger and current worldwide problem which is exacerbated by the shorter days and longer nights. Our sleep cycles should last around 7-9 hours per night. In the USA, in 1910, people regularly had nine to eleven hours sleep per night, in 2001 it had dropped to six hours. The Brits are the worst!  Poor sleep leads to whole range of illnesses including heart disease, the number one killer in the UK.

*When the clock goes forward in the UK to BST, heart attacks increase by 24%

*When the clocks go back to GMT in October, the heart attack rate drops by 21%.

"Less sleep – less life" according to Matthew Walker in his book “Why We Sleep”  However, it is one thing to want more sleep but for many, it is another thing entirely to fall and/or stay asleep.

So why can’t we sleep when we want to?

Stress is one of the biggest reasons for poor sleep and today’s stress levels are reaching epidemic proportions. The levels of cortisol, (major stress hormone) build up during the day and are stored in the body for many hours. The job of cortisol is to make us alert, prepared and ready. If it is still in the body in high levels at the end of the day, it prevents us from relaxing into good, restorative sleep which is what we need to help us to wake up feeling energized and excited about the day ahead.

Today's 24/7 online lifestyle is such a recent phenomena compared to our evolution which over-rides today's demands. We are just like animals. We go into a more preservative state to reduce energy output evolved from our hunter/gatherer forefathers during the long months when resources were scarcer, a form of hibernation. In the Autumn/ Winter months, we need more sleep, we are hungrier and want to stay in and cosy up under the duvet with something good on the box.  

Best Cures

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything."  — Irish Proverb

If you can’t sleep or find something to laugh about, look into relaxing techniques;  yoga, periods of peace and quiet and other meditative practices for stress management. For essential sleep enhancing, stress prevention and stress-busting tips, email  info@ruanebioenergetics.com.