Although the weather is still far from autumn-like, the days are getting shorter. When your alarm goes off in the morning, it is still dark and you want to turn around. And when you drive home after work at dusk, your eyes almost close again. Recognizable? You are not the only one who suffers from autumn fatigue. Lighting expert Toine Schoutens from Ulicoten explains why it happens and what you can do about it.
“It is no myth that we are more tired these days,” says Schoutens. “People simply need a lot of light to function properly. We were able to benefit from this all summer long. But now that we are indoors a lot again and it is dark longer, our bodies have to get used to that.”
That has to do with our biological clock. In the evening our body produces melatonin, a substance that makes us tired. When the sun rises this should disappear, but when it is still dark that rhythm comes under pressure. “Then you produce melatonin for too long,” says Schoutens, “which keeps you sleepy.”
“After half an hour with light glasses you really have more energy.”
The fact that we spend a lot of time indoors now doesn’t help either. “Indoors it is often 200 times darker than outside,” he explains. “You don’t really notice it because your eyes adjust to it, but it really is true.” That’s why it’s better to put that blanket back in the closet and go out after work. “In winter it is less light outside than in summer, but the difference with indoors is still very big. So get outside as much as possible and do something active.”
Another tip is to put on blue light glasses for half an hour every morning immediately after getting up. “This imitates summer,” the expert explains. “Sunlight consists of all the colors of the rainbow. Research shows that the blue part wakes you up. It stimulates the production of cortisol, which provides energy.” You have to pay 200 euros for such glasses, but then you get something. “I have been using it for years and I really have more energy afterwards,” Schoutens promises.
According to him, a regular diet is also important. “Eat plenty of carbohydrates in the morning. These are converted into energy.” You should definitely not snooze your alarm clock. “That is bad for your rhythm, because your body then thinks that you need to go back to sleep. It is actually important to catch as much light as possible in the morning. Open the curtains immediately. or use a light alarm clock.”
“With a good power nap you are really fitter afterwards.”
And if you still fall asleep at work after these tips, it is best to take a power nap. “A lot of people think that doesn’t work for me. But just sleeping between one and two is very effective.” Lie down somewhere, make sure it is dark and try to sleep. “Maximum twenty minutes, no longer,” he emphasizes. “Because then you fall into a deeper sleep and wake up feeling exhausted. But if you do it right, you will notice that you really wake up fitter.”
In some workplaces, a power nap in the afternoon is very normal. At a company in Strijp in Eindhoven, for example, they have installed special chairs for this.
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