The days get warmer, the sun gets higher, and suddenly we all feel like doing precisely nothing and lazing about in the heat all day. No, you’re not imagining it: hot weather does make you feel more tired!
The reason we want to spend our summers in a marathon Netflix session in front of our portable fans has to do with our internal temperature regulation, our reaction to natural light, and a host of other factors.
But before you reach for another cup of coffee or sugary pick-me-up, read on to find out what’s really going on with your body to make you sleepy.
Heat changes your body temperature.
You may not realize it, but your body is constantly working to keep you in balance. It regulates your moods, your emotions, and your body temperature. The body expends energy in order to keep cool, and the more we sweat, the more energy we lose, leading to fatigue and sleepiness.
So essentially our bodies are working harder to keep us cool in the summer months and expanding more energy!
Heat makes you dehydrated.
More often than not, it isn’t the heat that’s making you feel sleepy, but rather the dehydration that happens as a result. Dehydration always causes sleepiness and fatigue. To keep yourself from getting dehydrated, drink at least 2 litres of water a day to provide your body with the hydration it needs.
Heat causes blood pressure to drop
When it’s warm, the blood pressure drops. When blood pressure is low, it causes fatigue and sleepiness. A slight drop in blood pressure means that there is less amount of blood reaching the brain, and as a result, your body struggles to stay awake
Bottom line: Physical exertion, sweating, and staying outside for hours when it’s hot, depletes your body of fluid and salt, leading to dehydration and a whole host of other symptoms. The end result? You feel fatigued, lethargic, and sleepy.
There’s plenty you can do to combat all of this such as keeping hydrated, staying in the shade when you can and even eating salty snacks – you don’t need to tell us twice! So when it comes to falling asleep in the evening you have no problem drifting off.