Autumn has arrived and suddenly you just want to stay snuggled up under the covers? Don’t panic, it’s normal. “Autumn weather can make us tired due to a phenomenon known as “weather whiplash” – sudden and unpredictable changes in temperature and weather conditions »explains to Glamour UK Bethany Lawrence, osteopath and health expert for Panda London, a British mattress brand. “These abrupt changes can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms, leading to fatigue and an increased desire to sleep. Unlike summer, where longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures often encourage activity and reduce sleepiness, fall’s cooler temperatures and darker days make the body want to rest.”
The cooler temperatures of fall help the body regulate its core temperature more efficiently, which can promote longer and deeper sleep. Additionally, with less exposure to daylight, the body produces more melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycles, which naturally tends to make us more sleepy. While there’s nothing wrong with this—fall is the perfect season to recuperate and pamper yourself—oversleeping could negatively affect your mood. Be careful, seasonal depression is not a myth. So how can you keep your energy up as winter slowly but inexorably approaches?
1/ Adjust your bedtime gradually
“As daylight hours decrease, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Gradually shifting your sleep schedule 15 to 30 minutes earlier can help your body adjust to the earlier sunsets,” conseille Bethany Lawrence.
2/ In the morning, get some sun
“Natural sunlight helps regulate your body’s internal clock. Try to get outside in the morning for some light exposure, even if it’s cloudy, to signal to your body that it’s time to wake up,” Bethany advises. You probably also know that exposing yourself to the sun for 15 to 30 minutes, even just twice a week, is enough to metabolize vitamin D, which is essential for the proper functioning of our immune system.
3/ Create a consistent bedtime routine
“The darker evenings of fall are a great opportunity to create a relaxing routine before bed. Engage in calming activities like reading, gentle stretching, or taking a warm bath to help your body unwind,” recommande Bethany Lawrence.
Breathing is an interesting tool to prepare for falling asleep. To slow down your breathing and heart rate, you can practice abdominal breathing, which consists of inhaling long and deeply, letting your stomach inflate like a balloon, then exhaling slowly until it is completely deflated. Cardiac coherence breathing is also an interesting option: inhale for 5 seconds, then exhale for 5 seconds, at a rate of 6 complete breaths per minute, maintaining this rhythm for several minutes.
4/ Pay attention to your diet
You probably know the adage “eat in the morning like a king, at noon like a prince and in the evening like a pauper.” “As the weather gets colder, we often crave heavier comfort foods, but large meals before bed can disrupt sleep,” warns Bethany Lawrence.
To aid your digestion and be able to sleep well, avoid red meat and spicy dishes. Instead, opt for raw vegetables, vegetables and dairy products. Of course, stimulants such as tea, coffee or alcohol are also not recommended before bedtime. While alcohol, unlike the other two drinks, tends to make you sleepy, its much sought-after anxiolytic effect is short-lived. Because it limits the duration of REM sleep and increases body temperature, promotes snoring and sleep apnea, disrupting sleep quality. Its psychotropic effects also disturb dreams.
5/ Optimize your sleep environment
Air out your room for at least 15 minutes. Preferably, morning and evening. During the night, we find ourselves exposed to the same ambient climate for hours on end, without being able to go out and get some fresh air. In the same vein, make sure that your bedroom is cool. Do not heat it above 18/19 degrees. “Use breathable bedding to stay warm without overheating,” also advises Bettany Lawrence.
6/ Limit naps
“Although you may feel more tired in the fall, try to avoid long naps during the day, which can interfere with nighttime sleep. If necessary, take short naps, about 20 to 30 minutes,” says the expert.
7/ Stay active during the day
And to conclude: “With the days getting shorter, it’s easy to become less active, but regular exercise can help regulate your sleep patterns.”
“It has long been said that you shouldn’t do sport in the evening. This comes from a study on sedentary people who got back into sport. Because it is obvious that we suffer from greater stress in the body when we get back into sport. But when these people continued physical activity regularly, on the contrary, sport was positive for sleep. Today, studies nevertheless suggest that when we have intense activity late in the evening, when we run 36km in the evening before going to bed or when we do Cross Fit, it makes us nervous,” explained Dr. Rémi Lombard, sleep specialist, to Top Santé for a report on sleep. If you can go to the gym without hesitation to let off steam after your work day, avoid any activity that is too “brutal” two hours before going to bed. If you don’t have time to get started before 10 p.m., opt for relaxing and calm activities like yoga or pilates. This will allow you to get rid of the energy accumulated throughout the day and prepare yourself for a night of restful sleep.
Source: www.topsante.com
