If you feel more tired in the summer, you’re not imagining it. The combination of heat, dehydration, longer days, and a more active social life can mean you’re feeling more exhausted than usual. Here are the most common causes of summer lethargy and what you can do about it.
Dehydration: Drink More Fluids
One major cause of summer lethargy is dehydration. It’s hotter, so you’re sweating more, which means you need to compensate for your fluid loss by drinking more water and electrolytes. If you normally drink 4 cups of water a day, double it. You body needs more fluids in hot weather.
Sleeping Hot: Decrease Room Temperature
If you’re waking up exhausted or unable to fall asleep, a hot room may be to blame. Your body temperature increases when you sleep, so keeping your room cool will help prevent insomnia and waking up in the night. Set your thermostat to 70 and turn on a fan.
Longer Daylight Days: Stay on a Sleep Schedule
During the summer, daylight can remain until after 9pm or longer. While it’s nice to have more daylight, it can also mess with your sleep schedule. Suddenly you’re staying up and staying out later. To help balance the longer days, try to wake up and go to bed at the same time every night.
Overheating: Decrease Direct Sun Exposure
Ever notice how tired you are after a day at the beach or out in the sun? Sun exhaustion is a real thing. Because your body has to work twice as hard to stay cool in the heat, you can run out of energy much quicker. If you’re outside, use a wide brim hat to protect your head from the sun and stay in the shade when possible. This will help prevent heat exhaustion PLUS your skin will thank you.
Peak Social Months: Take A Break
Longer days and more social events can leave your head spinning during peak summer months. It’s likely you’re staying out later and drinking alcohol more often, which can really zap the life out of you. Don’t be afraid to cancel out when you need to and take a breather. We all need to rest once in a while -especially during the crazy summer months when it seems something is happening every day and night.
