Does the change of seasons affect you?

I have been oversleeping every single day for the past few weeks. Today, it was the worst- I slept 10 hours last night, went to classes in the morning and as soon as I came home I took a 4 hour nap..I can't seem to stop sleeping and I'm always tired Most days aren't too different, I always get more than adequate sleep during the night and then as soon as I'm home I go straight for my bed... I am always hungry too, it seems like sleeping and eating are two things I do the most of!!
I have tried going to the gym but the only thing that's on my mind is going to bed and cuddling up in my blankets ...
I am thinking it must be some kind of depression related to the seasons changing since the days are getting smaller ....Anyone else affected by seasons changing so much?
I also stopped drinking diet coke about 2 weeks ago, and it seems like this is how long this has been going on- maybe it's related to the caffeine withdrawal, but I highly doubt that.

I don't know about the seasons...but I can relate with the sleep situation. I always feel exhausted! I also have insomnia though... No matter how much I sleep I always feel like I haven't slept at all. I think one of my problems is that my sleep medication is drugging me the next day. I've tried everything else so I feel like a lost cause. Sometimes I feel hungry when I know that I shouldn't. This may be total BS.... but I think I confuse hunger pains with my acid reflux acting up...sometimes I think that the acid stirring around in my stomach feels similar to hunger.

I struggled with being able to sleep for a couple of weeks but I seem to be over that now. Depending on which seasons we are going into my post nasal drip and asthma can be worse than it usually is.

Season changes are the worst times of the year for me. The pressure systems change almost by the hour, and that is what increases pain for those of us who suffer weather oriented pain which of course increases my SAD.... Its a viscious circle, and right now I just want it to get cold.

My bad sleeping has some to do with chronic pain, and the rest is just that I go in spurts. Some weeks I sleep GREAT, other weeks I have insomnia (to the point of being unable to function because of lack of sleep), other days I can't sleep but can still function....

When was the last time you saw a doctor? I'm wondering if there's a medical reason for your need to sleep so much? Really, if your body didn't need that sleep then you wouldn't be sleeping that much... so obviously it needs it for whatever reason.

It could be the tail end of the caffeine withdrawal.... Withdrawals last different lengths of time for different people..... whether it be caffeine, a prescription med, cigarettes, etc.

Others experiencing caffeine withdrawal may feel depressed and some feel sleepy. Some people may experience significant mood instability, which may be helped by prescribed medications. People may also have difficulty concentrating. Some undergoing caffeine withdrawal can have flu-like symptoms that include nausea or vomiting, and muscle pain or stiffness.

Generally the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal continue from two to nine days after one’s last intake of caffeine. People may note continued symptoms of sleepiness that may be more psychologically based, if they used caffeine to start their morning. However, the body is considered no longer addicted to caffeine after nine days. Continued symptoms should be checked by a doctor, as they might indicate other conditions.

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from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-sym...withdrawal.htm

Based on that alone, I would think that perhaps it is indeed your lack of caffeine, and that it should pass soon..... But if it doesn't, then I would see a doc...

Get your thyroid checked. Everything you listed are common symptoms of thyroid problems. Plus it's just some simple blood tests - in and out.


I can't say the season affects me more than just feeling achy from the cold - and being cold.

It has been about 20 days since I stopped drinking caffeine I doubt it's psychological either because I never drank the soda for its caffeine, I drank it for the taste and I'd drink it late at night as if it has no caffeine, and I was able to go to sleep even after having caffeine. My body was so immune to caffeine, that when I was at my cousin's house she was sooo puzzled when we had coffe in the afternoon and right after that I passed out on the couch
I guess I'll talk to my doc, I am way overdue for a physical anyway so I'll make an appointment for that and mention it..
strange_wings- I had my thyroid checked recently for hyperthyroidism, although I'm not sure if that is the only thyroid test I need...My doctor ordered it because I had tachycardia, and she thought it might be because of my thyroid but it wasn't, it was an electrolyte imbalance. But it was over a year ago, maybe a year and a half ago..I also looked at SAD and looks exactly like the symptoms I have too..

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Anyone else affected by seasons changing so much?

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For most of my life, I thought I was one of the few people in the world to have a genuine, actual dread of seasons changing. The reason was because I knew my body would go haywire 4 times a year, guaranteed.

This past year wasn't as bad compared to others. I'm hoping it's a sign of a better future.

It took me years to even notice it as a pattern. Then one day (around 7 years ago or so) I was like "Y'know what, it seems every time the seasons change, I deal with unpleasant physical stuff"

I do. I also go in spurts where I either fall asleep and sleep really well, or I can't fall asleep and keep waking up during the night when I do. Right now I can't sleep. I've been taking sleeping pills for 3 weeks now, and I have a running rx for them in case I ever need them. I have no problem switching from taking the sleeping pills to not, so my doctor lets me use them for as long as I need to in order to get back into a normal sleeping pattern.

I also have been having these weird spells where I have severe deja vu, then get dizzy and have extreme nausea. When I don't take my sleeping pill I will get them up to 20 times a night and it keeps me up and I get no sleep (even though the spells themselves make me very exhausted afterward). The pills stop me from getting any of them. I get them during the day also, so I wish I could take something to keep them at bay. I also go in spurts with these where I will have a bunch every day for a couple weeks in a row, then for a couple weeks I have none.

I get really bad seasonal affective disorder, and get really depressed in the colder months of the year (which is about 1/2 the year here). I can't wait until the housing market picks back up so we can move to Texas.

Good luck!! I hope you get it figured out soon!!