How to fight tiredness when winter is coming?

Long winter evenings, night travels, artificial light at work… The winter period is accompanied by a decrease in exposition to light. This leads to a less important synthesis of melatonin, also known as sleep hormone, which manages the circadian cycle. This reduction leads to the feeling of fatigue felt in winter, which is nothing but a biological adaptation.

Tiredness: what is it?

Tiredness is a subjective feeling related to the difficulty of acting after work or physical effort, intellectual or mental considered excessive. Three types of tiredness can be distinguished: physical fatigue, nervous fatigue and respiratory fatigue. Generally, they are interdependent. If fatigue sets in regularly (more than six months), it is considered as pathological and called asthenia or even chronic fatigue.

What are the characteristics of different types of tiredness?

Muscle fatigue is the inability of some muscles to produce the strength needed to perform a task. The consequences are an inability of muscle fibers to contract, insufficient energy resources and a decrease in nervous message transmission.

Respiratory fatigue is due to a lack of oxygen in the body, allowing the vital muscles and organs to be properly supplied. It is usually felt during intense or prolonged physical exercise.

Finally, nervous fatigue is expressed by the inability of the central nervous system (CNS) to activate muscles to maintain a constant level of strength. When the maximum capacity of the CNS is reached, this force can no longer be maintained.

What are the causes of tiredness?

Tiredness can result from several causes. The most common are lack of sleep, intellectual or physical overwork, or even an underlying disease such as diabetes, cancer or respiratory disease. Dietary imbalance has a significant influence on fatigue, especially in the case of diet or undernourishment. At the time of menstruation or menopause, women are more likely to be tired due to a lack of iron or even anemia. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your daily iron needs are met to limit fatigue. It is found in high quantities in red meat, lentils and offals.