Does lack of sunshine REALLY make you tired?

[Kitty 34]

or is that a myth??

I've been tired for weeks now and as many of you know, Michigan has been greatly deprived of sunshine.

If it's not lack of sunshine; I must be tired because of old age!

Anyone else tired? What's your reason?

 

[monarchsfan16]

I think the lack of sunshine does make you tired. When we had a month of rain last May, I was wiped out. Same with the weeks of May in October. But maybe it was just the rain that made me tired, because snow doesn't do that to me
I'm exhausted. But I think that's just from coming home from a semester of college only to put 400 miles on my car in a week and a half shuttling friends from school to the airport, and running Christmas errands for my dad

 

[Sparx]

I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime of day. I cna't blame it on sunlight, its sheer laziness with me.

 

[chell]

Yes, it really can and also can make you depressed.

Being awake makes me tired.

 

[DawnCt1]

To some degree but it really impacts DS 26 a great deal. He doesn't perk up until mid February. Part of his fatigue is Crohns Disease but coupled with the lack of sun and cold weather, it hits him hard. He bought a season's pass to Killington for this year and getting out on the slopes in the sunshine seems to help.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This article is a bit clinical but it does explain how light affects not only our sleep, but hormonal patterns as well.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/922567322.html


An interesting article:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=22592

 

[HOGFAN]

dont know about tired but we have a niece who is bi-polar. her condition gets worse in winter(shorter days) even on meds

 

[SundancePass]

After living for 5 years in Michigan and then 5 years in Minneapolis, we felt like mushrooms. It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder and I suffer from it. We now live in Colorado and NO more being tired/very smildly depressed because of lack of sunshine. You might buy one of those SAD lamps and sit in front of it for 15 minutes a day in the winter. When we move back to Minneapolis, I'm going with a lamp.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

or is that a myth??

I've been tired for weeks now and as many of you know, Michigan has been greatly deprived of sunshine.

If it's not lack of sunshine; I must be tired because of old age!

Anyone else tired? What's your reason?

I believe it does...I have been exhausted these last few weeks. Yesterday, we had sun (as you know) just about all day...it was wonderful....people were in much better moods...I was in a great mood...so yeah, I really think no sun has an effect on you!! Especially for as long as we went without it!!!!

 

[casey49781]

i am from upper michigan and all u can do alot of days is stay inside so yeah you get tired ...plus its just after the holidays so alot are tired from that,,,

 

[staci]

OMG yes! Today was our first sunshine in 19 DAYS according to the news.
It felt SO GREAT to open the front door and the blinds and let the sun shine in. I cant believe how wonderful that felt. It really does get to you after awhile.

 

[dumboiu]

I am exhausted, but I thought it was only from the pneumonia. Maybe the lack of sunshine and being outdoors is playing into my fatigue? aw:

 

[Stacerita]

The lack of sunshine doesn't necessarily make me tired. But is does make me want to be in my jammies.

 

[Kitty 34]

I am exhausted, but I thought it was only from the pneumonia. Maybe the lack of sunshine and being outdoors is playing into my fatigue? aw:

Pneumonia? You poor thing! Not fun to have to deal with that on top of lack of sunshine. I sure hope you feel better soon.

Here's a little to help.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am exhausted, but I thought it was only from the pneumonia. Maybe the lack of sunshine and being outdoors is playing into my fatigue? aw:

It takes a while to recover from pneumonia too.

 

[kaabost]

I know that a lack of sunshine negatively affects my mood and makes me lazy in comparison. i used to live in the mountains where we would have several cloudy/rainy/dreary days back to back. I would get uncarististically tired. Now, I don't live in the mountains and I rarely have a tired day.

 

[nwdisgal]

Yes. I definately am affected by lack of sunlight. I do not sit out in the sun, but I am very sensitive to it - even the level of light in the sky and notice when it's not out. When I'm in places like Seattle during the winter, I drink a lot more coffee. I think the caffeine compensates for the lack of light.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Oh yes, lack of sunshine really does make you tired and depressed. Like one of the PP's said, it's called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD - an appropriate acronymn!). I have SAD - I grew up in MN, then moved to WI for college, grad school, job, etc. for 10 years, and I would always start to droop in mid October, wilt when DST ended, hibernate through February, and suddenly start to come back to life in March. My roommate used to tell me that she always felt like she lost me for 6 months of the year! I finally started getting treatment for SAD in grad school, and it totally made a difference! I needed mild anti-depressants (with an increased dose from Oct-Feb) and I used a light box every morning in the winter.

My doctor kept advising me to move somewhere that got more sunshine, but I resisted. Then I met DH, got married, and moved out to CA (where DH has lived since he was 3). Now I live in a city that averages 300 days of sunshine a year! Hooray! I still get droopy when it's the rainy season (i.e. winter), but it isn't anywhere near as bad as it was when I lived in the Midwest.

 

[Just2554]

I really have a problem with lack of sunshine; it makes me tired and cranky. On gloomy, rainy days, I hate getting up to go to school or work because I'm just cranky and overtired. I feel fantastic on days the sun is out though.

 

[Stitchfans]

yes, tired, and depressed.