After a long dismal winter of colds and flues, here comes the next epidemic…spring fever!
While it may sound like a myth, it’s real, it’s physiological, most of my patients say they have it, and the symptoms sound great!
• Less need for sleep
• Less craving for sugar and starch
• More optimism
• More socializing
• More energy
• Less tolerance for boring tasks
If you think spring fever is all just a state of mind, think again. Scientists say that the body’s temperature-regulation system begins shifting from winter mode to summer mode, making us actually feel warmer.1 But it’s not because of the outside temperature; it’s triggered by the increase in light as the days get longer.
You may already know that our body’s circadian (daily) rhythms are controlled by a master clock in our brain that is reset by early morning light. That clock coordinates our sleep cycles, wakefulness, energy fluctuations and our hormonal cycles, so when the length of days or clock settings change, so do we! Some, unfortunately, find that the acute circadian rhythm shifting caused by the increased light exposure triggers a “spring depression,” but most of us feel the positive effects instead.
Here’s why:
First, the increased light signals the brain to produce more serotonin, and serotonin is a hormone that boosts our energy, our mood, and cures those winter blues! In fact, some ethologists speculate that because winter is over, we are naturally gearing up for hunting and gathering.
Next, it’s not just the longer days, lighter evenings, barbeques, outdoor parties and sports that can make us feel good. Most of us naturally increase our exercise, walk farther and longer, and play harder in the spring, all of which increases our levels of the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin.
Finally, endocrinologists explain that we also have a light-sensitive hormone called melatonin that triggers seasonal mating patterns in all mammals.2 So, the birds do it, the bees do it, and looks like we may be programmed to “do it” in the spring and summer, too. But does that mean spring boosts fertility as well as libido and opportunity? Apparently not.3
Although springtime may increase sexual opportunities and interest, it doesn’t change actual fertility. In fact, the greatest fluctuations in male testosterone are daily, not seasonally, and if you are a woman going through IVF fertility treatment, the medications will override any seasonal effects on your ovarian and endometrial hormones — so make sure to follow your treatment protocol. The good news for fertility patients, however, is that they tell me springtime helps them feel more optimistic about the eventual outcome of their fertility journey, so they continue in treatment rather than giving up too soon.
This is also true for most of us as we deal with our daily challenges, like stress at work, family conflicts, or money pressures, The problems don’t go away, but more mingling with friends, more trips and outdoor projects, more flowers and sunshine, tend to make us more hopeful and relaxed than during the winter, and more capable of dealing with those problems rather than giving up too soon.
This is one spring fever I hope you catch…and enjoy.