Winter Sleep Deprivation

Living in the lovely state of North Dakota can take it’s toll even on the hardiest of the bunch. The sudden changes in temperature, this year especially, has not been kind. Going from 40 and sunny to -8 and cloudy over night is harsh. Even though the days are slowly starting to get longer and I’ve seen the sun a little more, this last week has been especially brutal on my body for some reason. I’ve been in bed before 9:30 every night since Monday and I’ve still had a difficult time getting up for work at 6:30/7. Not sure what’s going on. So I’ve talked to a few others and did a little research and here’s what I’ve come up:

SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder

(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195)

Some of my friends have actually went in and had their iron levels tested because they thought they were just anemic and needed to up their vitamins and iron intake. Which never hurts in this area, as long as you talk to your doctor first of course. They weren’t anemic though; they just had signs of this SAD. Feeling heavy and tired all the time, oversleeping, and craving carbs (nothing tastes better in the winter than a big pan of lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs with some cheesy garlic bread… mmmmm….). 

I’ve come to the conclusion after talking to my chiropractor that I just need to listen to my body for a few weeks and sleep when I can, take more vitamin C, B12 and maybe add a little more iron in my diet. I prefer the natural methods to deal with things, and my chiropractor is licensed and has sent me to a “real” doctor before when I needed that instead, so I trust her whole heartedly. I know a lot of people who think those kind of doctors are a little off, but I’ve found it not only cheaper, but more relaxing and I usually feel better faster!

Those photo lights I hear help too. Some special light in them that makes your body feel like it's absorbing sunlight and in return your mood lifts and in most cases your energy will lift too. I may have to look into getting one of those for my desk at work. Especially since I sit in an office with no windows all year long, it definitely wouldn't hurt.