For the many people who have recently found themselves to be dozing off more frequently than usual, a study conducted by the University of Florence’s Climatology Department has revealed that the excessive tiredness they are experiencing is in fact a collateral effect of climate change. According to the report, 6 out of 10 people have been suffering from chronic fatigue and sluggishness due to spring’s untimely arrival this year. More precisely, this year’s premature spring season has resulted in an overall sense of weariness for about 62 percent of Italians, who cite an increased lack of concentration, physical weakness and even, at times, bouts of depression. In addition, results of the study show that the mid-season blues have caused a lower-than-normal sex drive in one in four citizens.
Professor Giampiero Maracchi, head of the study and director of the Instituto Biometerologia del CNR, affirms that ‘there is a very close relationship between the physiological functioning of our bodies and the changes in climate. Our internal clock is conditioned by the physical environment which surrounds us, resulting in hormonal imbalances’. Maracchi further adds that irregular variations in daylight and darkness and cold and hot temperatures affect our production of serotonin and adrenaline, causing much discomfort in our everyday lives. Other common symptoms of the premature spring season are irritability, headaches and digestive problems. Maracchi states that some ways to fight the fatigue include energy-boosting herbal supplements and teas like ginseng and royal jelly.
