By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
It's spring ― time for flowers to blossom, fields to turn green and people to feel lazy all day.
Experts say this spring fatigue is associated with the fact that daylight has become longer which affects people's biorhythms and hormonal cycles.
Prof. Oh Seung-won of Konkuk University said spring fatigue includes sleepiness, lack of concentration, loss of appetite, and in some cases, dizziness. However, since it is not a disease, a good diet and some exercise will produce beneficial results.
He said if one feels lazy, then it's better take a nap for 10-20 minutes rather than trying too hard to ward off sleepiness.
``Having a good sleep, getting a good rest can relieve symptoms a little,'' he said.
However, if symptoms persist for more than 3-4 weeks, one should visit a doctor. Fatigue or laziness are two among many early symptoms of hepatitis, anemia, and thyroid or liver disease.
Here are few tips for you to overcome spring fatigue.
Avoid smoking, and drinking coffee and alcohol: Drinking coffee to simply override sleepiness will only stress out your body.
Do not skip breakfast and try to eat regular meals each day: Breakfast supplies nutrients your brain requires during the daytime. Also, it prevents one eating too much for lunch.
Do some simple exercises: Do some stretching and walking to let your muscles loosen up. It will help you sleep through the night as well as make your body feel fresh during in the daytime.
Take a nap of no more than 20 minutes: 10 minutes or short nap can help overcome your sleepiness. But if you sleep for more than 30 minutes, it could interfere with your sleep at night.
Open the windows: The air indoors could have reduced levels of oxygen. Open the windows and ventilate the room.