tyla homepage
  • News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Why you feel cold all the time and how one thing can help solve the problem

Home> Life

Published 16:45 27 Sep 2024 GMT+1

Why you feel cold all the time and how one thing can help solve the problem

Thankfully, there's one easy thing you can do to help if you've been feeling particularly cold

Charlotte Bend

Charlotte Bend

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images/Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Topics: Health, Science, Weather

Charlotte Bend
Charlotte Bend

Advert

Advert

Advert

With summer officially over and the signs of autumn creeping in, many people may be suffering from the shift into chillier weather.

But while you may assume that feeling cold all the time is just a seasonal downside, there may be other reasons at play and - thankfully - there are also things you can do to help yourself.

Why does autumn affect my mood?

Despite the aesthetic thrill of autumn, with all its colourful leaves and cosy clothes, many people struggle to lift their mood once summer is over.

During the colder months, you will naturally be exposed to less sunlight and as a result your brain produces more melatonin, aka the sleep hormone, as Holland and Barrett explains.

Advert

Summer is officially over - and don't we know it (Tim Robberts/Getty Images)
Summer is officially over - and don't we know it (Tim Robberts/Getty Images)

As the human brain is governed by a light-sensitive circadian rhythm, you may find you feel more alert when it's light and sleepier when it's dark.

Our ancestors would have generally wound down for the winter, knowing there was only so much they could do when it was cold and dark, but in the modern age - with all its electric lighting and central heating - business continues as normal.

However, the lack of exposure to light and subsequent melatonin production is 'still making you sleepy as it did our ancestors'.

Why do I feel cold all the time?

One explanation is the obvious drop in temperature outside.

In the UK, this can sit anywhere from five to 15 degrees centigrade, meaning you might need to remember to layer up to make sure you are in appropriate clothing.

It may not just be the physical cold weather that's affecting you.

Research has shown that men prefer a slightly cooler room temperature of 22 degrees centigrade, while women tend to enjoy a warmer 25 degrees centigrade.

Holland and Barrett also says you may feel the cold more if you have a lower BMI and body fat, as 'visceral fat provides a layer of insulation which keeps you warmer'.

Another reason you feel cold all the time could be because you are suffering with a common condition that normally impacts women more than men.

Do you find you feel colder than others? (Olga Rolenko/Getty Images)
Do you find you feel colder than others? (Olga Rolenko/Getty Images)

Raynaud's phenomenon, or Raynaud's disease, is a condition where the extremities suffer from reduced blood flow.

Those who suffer from this will find their toes and fingers affected with numbness, tingling, pain or even discolouration.

What helps with feeling cold?

According to Holland and Barrett, a lack of quality sleep can leave you feeling cold, so it could be as simple as getting a good night's kip.

"Sleep helps to regulate body temperature – and skimping on quality sleep can make you feel colder," their website says.

"Our core body temperature drops slightly during the evening in preparation for sleep, so if you hold off on going to bed, you might feel a chill too, but this is normal."

"It is helpful to have the bedroom a degree or so cooler than the rest of your house to encourage the physiological sleep initiation process, but remember you have got to be comfortable so there is a lot of personal preference here."

If you feel you've not had a good night's sleep, make sure you eat a balanced diet and enough food, and also hydrate and exercise.

Choose your content:

an hour ago
4 hours ago
19 hours ago
21 hours ago
  • Getty Stock Image
    an hour ago

    Unexpected reason your antihistamines aren’t working

    A doctor has revealed what could be 'reducing the effectiveness' of your antihistamines as the pollen count is on the rise in the UK

    Life
  • Getty Stock Image
    4 hours ago

    Cancer is now diagnosed every 80 seconds as one type hits record high in young people

    Experts have cited certain lifestyle factors for the uptick in cases

    Life
  • Halfpoint Images/Getty Images
    19 hours ago

    Men warned about ‘silent’ warning sign of sexual health issue they usually ignore

    GPs say many dismiss the early changes as stress or ageing until it turns persistent

    Life
  • GoFundMe
    21 hours ago

    British two-year-old diagnosed with rare childhood dementia had no 'obvious signs' of illness

    Leni Forrester was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome Type B (MPSIIIB) a week before her second birthday

    Life
  • Doctor reveals surprising reason one nostril feels more blocked than the other when you have a cold
  • How to spot the difference between ‘super flu’ and common cold symptoms
  • How long it takes for tsunami to hit after earthquake as millions of people evacuated across the world
  • The size of one of your body parts could actually predict how long you'll live