Winter Make You Tired?

There's a herbal tea called "Sleepy Time." On the front of the box there's a picture of a bear in a small, homey cabin sitting in front of the fireplace. He's wearing a sleeping gown, slippers, and a cap. A cat lies at his feet. Both the bear and the cat are sound asleep. On a small table next to the bear's chair is a cup with the name of the tea on it.

Sometimes that scene reminds me perfectly of my attitude towards winter. I, like a lot of other animals, like to hibernate during the cold wintry weather. Many an evening I sit in front of my own fireplace and fall asleep in my easy chair. It seems that I'm just more tired during the wintertime.

And it appears that I'm not alone. Maybe there's some kind of seasonal rhythm that slows down the metabolism and makes us want to stay inside when the weather gets cold so we don't freeze to death, or maybe it's because of the lack of light, like in Seasonal Affective Disorder. There is one thing for certain, it affects a lot of other people as well.

According to St. Louis Daily News:

"Whether chronic fatigue, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or an old-fashioned case of the seasonal blues, many people experience fatigue when seasons change and the weather cools. Some six out of 100 Americans suffer from SAD and nearly 50 percent of adults report feeling chronically tired during the winter."

But you can get some relief naturally. According to the Journal of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, the condition known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is caused by a shortage of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10.

There is a herbal supplement out on the market that you could try. Some say that it works by increasing the interleukin-10 in the body. But like many other supplements, it hasn't been shown to work by the FDA. The supplement is called Del-Immune V.

Here are a few other tips for overcoming the wintertime blues without popping a pill:

Get as much sunlight as you can. Open up all of the drapes in the morning when you get up and go outside as much as the weather permits. Sunlight stimulates the production of Vitamin D, and that's the big miracle vitamin nowadays. But remember to wear sunscreen even in the winter as you can still get a sunburn when it's cold out.

Don't be afraid to pack on a couple of extra pounds in the winter. (Really, it might not be flattering, but whose going to know under all that clothing?) Eat more fats and protein. They are designed to get you through the winter. Of course, you still want to eat a healthy, balanced diet just like the rest of the year.

And finally, no matter how appealing that long winter nap is, try to keep your regular sleeping patterns and avoid stress because that will keep you awake at night and make you even more tired and more likely to nod off during the day.

And you might want to avoid drinking that herbal tea with the picture of the bear on it.

Source: http://www.slfp.com/Community/HealthNews.htm