When the first rays of winter sunlight hesitantly shine through the curtains and lazily sprinkle on the edge of the quilt, are you still wandering in your dreams, unable to break free from the warm quilt?Don't blame yourself, this may be a tacit dance with nature. In this cold season, having trouble getting out of bed in the morning is not only a natural response to the biological clock, but also a manifestation of the body's intelligence. In winter, the days are short, the nights are long, and the light is insufficient, which affects the secretion of melatonin in our body, thereby adjusting our sleep-wake rhythm. Research from the University of Basel in Switzerland pointed out that PER3 polymorphisms in the PER gene family, which is related to light, affect the secretion of melatonin, making some people more sensitive to changes in light, so it is more difficult to get out of bed in the morning.
However, in addition to genetic and environmental factors, the difficulty of waking up in the morning in winter is also closely related to our cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. Research from Leeds General Hospital in West Yorkshire, UK, found that the risk of heart attack in winter is nearly 50% higher than in the warmest months. This is not just because of the constriction of blood vessels caused by cold weather, but also because of the physiological changes when we wake up in the morning. After waking up in the morning, slowly adapting to the bed for a while, allowing the body temperature and blood pressure to gradually adapt to environmental changes, is a protective mechanism for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
At the same time, the challenges of getting out of bed in winter are also related to our mental health. Seasonal affective disorder, commonly known as "winter depression," is a type of mood swing caused by reduced light exposure. This seasonal psychological change, which not only affects mood but also the quality of sleep, makes getting out of bed in the morning a challenge.
However, there are ways to address this challenge. Adjusting the ambient light before bed and waking up, waking up the brain with more melodic ringtones, or maintaining the right room temperature can go some way in helping us better adapt to winter mornings.
Overall, the difficulty of waking up in the morning in winter is both a natural physiological response and a smart choice made by the body to adapt to the environment. Understanding this natural rhythm of the body and adopting appropriate coping strategies will not only protect our physical health, but also allow us to dance more harmoniously with the changing seasons. Let's welcome every morning this winter with an attitude that is more understanding and respectful of our own rhythms.
If you can't get up in winter, it's your body that protects you