The fresh students Kaja Isabel Lavik Wilson and Emilie Ylvisåker Vedvik started nursing training in Førde this autumn. Despite the fact that they seem both prepared and smiling, they are well aware that autumn affects their mood and energy level. – It is much harder to get up in the morning when it is dark outside, says Kaja Isabel. – The weather has a lot to say. You feel a lot more tired and things get a little heavier at times, says 18-year-old Emilie. They have noticed that fellow students come later or skip the first class in order to sleep longer. Sleep research shows that they are not alone in feeling more tired. A LOT TO LEARN: The new students have a lot to learn before they can call themselves nurses. Photo: Ingrid Byggland / news Little daylight Professor and head of the national center for sleep medicine at Haukeland University Hospital, Bjørn Bjorvatn, says that many will feel more tired now beyond autumn. – There will be many reasons for that. It is easy to believe that it has something to do with daylight. Light is important for setting the circadian rhythm, and affects the brain in several ways. Without light, I go to sleep a bit. Many of us experience little daylight during the day, as it is dark both when we go to work or school and when we return home. – The vast majority of us will experience a change in mood and fatigue. It is perhaps only 10 per cent of us who do not notice any change from summer to winter, says Bjorvatn. He adds that there are few who have serious problems with this, but it is important that those who are concerned are offered treatment. PROFESSOR: – Without light, I go to sleep a bit, says Bjørn Bjorvatn. Photo: University of Bergen Southern journey on blue prescription Bjorvatn says that if it has been a bad summer in terms of weather, the symptoms come earlier than if the summer has been good. One simply cannot charge the battery well enough. So if you are lucky enough to be able to take a trip to more southerly areas during the winter months, this will have a positive effect. – It was supposed to be a trip to the south on a blue prescription! Maybe there is something to suggest to the politicians, says Bjorvatn with a laugh. Dørstokkmila is important Børge Sivertsen, professor of psychology and specialist in sleep medicine at the Institute of Public Health, says that the research shows that we are actually quite good at adapting to different degrees of light levels. SLEEP RESEARCHER: Børge Sivertsen advises us to go outside. Photo: Even Norheim Johansen / news – There has been speculation as to whether there is something physiological behind it. Melatonin, also known as the “sleep hormone”, which the body produces, plays an important role. More melatonin is produced when it is dark and then one becomes sleepy. But the artificial light that surrounds us compensates for this. He says that the reason why many people feel more tired in autumn is mostly because it is more difficult to keep the level of activity up. – Many of us become more sedentary now that the evenings are getting darker. The more important the doorstep miles become! It can be heavy, but no one regrets a trip out. Clear conscience That it is more tempting to sit inside when it gets dark and the degree scale creeps down towards zero is not unnatural for most of us. Sleep specialist Sivertsen says it can be difficult to continue with the good routines many have from the summer months, but advises us to find a good rhythm. – By forcing yourself out, you get fresh air and activate your body, which means that you can cope better for the rest of the evening. In addition, you get a good conscience, and that also helps, says Sivertsen. Third-year student Abdisalaam Mohamed (24) is also among those who notice the fatigue setting in in the autumn. Nevertheless, he manages to keep his energy level up. – Training and four cups of coffee during the day! But no coffee after 6pm, then I can’t sleep. GOOD ROUTINES: Abdisalaam Mohamed keeps his energy levels up with the help of exercise and coffee. Photo: Ingrid Byggland / news Turn the thinking around Professor Bjorvatn says in the end that one can choose to turn it around. Think it’s nice that we have seasons. Who doesn’t like to curl up on the sofa, light candles and cozy up inside when the autumn storms rage outside? – If you think negatively, everything becomes more negative than it needs to be. And soon it will be spring again! Do you feel more tired in autumn? Yes, very much No, not at all I haven’t thought about that… Show result
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That’s why you get tired in the autumn – news Vestland
