Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is an ailment that causes people to feel extreme exhaustion and tiredness. Patients feel muscle aches, joint pain, and unrefreshing sleep for long periods of time without any reason.
Although the cause of this syndrome is still not fully understood, doctors have been able to pinpoint when these symptoms worsen and flare up, one of which being the season or time of the year. Continue to read to see how winter can affect fatigue, and learn the best treatment methods for CFS during these cold months.
For many, it is difficult to understand how the time of year can have such an effect on one’s body. So here is how it works. Your body has its natural biological clock where you have peaks of energy at specific times of the day as well as periods of downtime where your body prompts you to rest.
A huge part of your body’s natural clock is based on your daily routine and diet, which play a part in having adequate energy throughout the day and affecting when your body tells you it’s time to sleep. Unbeknownst to many, another factor that plays into your body’s fluctuations in activity and rest is the actual time of day.
How Your Body Regulates Sleep (or Doesn’t)
Your body produces a hormone called melatonin that regulates sleep and wakefulness. The more melatonin your body produces, the sleepier you become. Your body produces melatonin based on the time of day. Since your body does not have access to a clock, it relies on the presence or absence of the sun to determine when it’s time to go to bed.
The issue here is that during the wintertime in many parts of the world, it gets dark relatively early and can cause your body to respond inappropriately. The disconnect between how your body feels and the time of day is due to your body’s dependence on sunlight as a signal for rest. This can cause a increase in fatigue during the winter.
This phenomenon is something everyone experiences, whether they suffer from CFS or not. However, this disconnect can exaggerate CFS symptoms and make them that much more prominent.
How You Can Fight CFS
One method of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome treatment is maximizing your exposure to the sun and getting an adequate amount of Vitamin D.
As previously stated, your body responds well to a structured schedule, and you have the power to program your personal biological clock to combat winter fatigue. Creating a routine and sticking to a schedule will help your body learn when is the correct time to begin winding down and preparing for bed. The less structured your daily routine is, the harder it is for your body to know when you want to go to bed.
Lastly, try to reduce stress and exercise regularly. These two factors can have a huge effect in how your body responds and are great ways to help decrease winter fatigue.
If these treatments don’t help your CFS, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor. With their help, you can create a regimen that helps fight CFS and helps you have the energy you need to tackle on the day.
