How not to oversleep during Winters

It is just not some animal species that retreat into hibernation during winters. Humans too feel the need to stay in bed and sleep extra. It is really difficult to get out of bed during the winter, which may lead to lesser exercise. Also it can get a bit depressing when day light closes in much earlier than usual, and instead of catching up with friends or dos you’d rather just head home and snug up.

Some of your body’s natural processes are disturbed during the changing weather.

Here is how to cope with the winter sleepiness:

1) During the day, spend some time outdoors in the sunlight, whether it’s working sitting next to a window, taking a short walk at lunch or keeping the curtains open. Melatonin production is related to light and dark. The production of melatonin is more if there is less sunlight, and this might induce sleep.

2) Ensure you take Vitamin D and iron if need be. Chances of Vitamin D reducing in the body are high with less exposure to sun, which in turn can leave you feeling a little tired. You can ensure the vitamin intake through diet as well. You can opt for fortified cereals, eggs, and oily fish. Lean red meat, dark green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, wholegrains and lentils are good sources of iron.

3) The endorphins are released during exercise so make sure you do some exercise regularly as it will help make you feel less gloomy and sleep just right.

4) Don’t overeat despite the urge. While in winter we end up eating more, the heavy meals or weight gain only interfere in sleep and leave us feeling sleepy through the day. To get deep sleep during night, continue to eat in a balanced way, if at all take small portions of snacks every few hours and remember not to eat too much right before bed time.