Summer Considerations
Ivy Griffin
Hot weather impacts sleep, appetite, health, and mental health. As we trudge deeper into the summer season and the heat rises here in California to ridiculous heights, I felt it might be prudent to touch upon how some core factors we monitor in therapy may be impacted by the change in weather.
Sleep
You may have noticed lately that falling asleep has been much more difficult than it used to be, or that the quality of your sleep changed, and you are waking up feeling more exhausted and fatigued. A contributing factor is the heat. In order to drop into deeper, more restful and restorative sleep our core temperature needs to drop/cool. So when it is hot our bodies have more obstacles to cooling our core temperature enough to get us to that state of deeper sleep. Things that can help include fans, AC systems, closing blinds/curtains, cooling blankets/sleeping with less bedding or no bedding, taking cool showers/baths before bed, drinking cold/cool water, using cold compresses, or sleeping closer to the floor as heat rises.
Appetite
Now in therapy sometimes we may check in on appetite and whether there are notable irregularities (having an increased appetite, having a decreased appetite, or having inconsistencies in eating) as mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can impact our eating style. When the heat increases our bodies are naturally working overtime to keep cool, but all natural functions in the body generate heat so in an effort to help it will reduce the hunger signals sent to the brain and suppress the appetite in order to conserve energy. So if appetite and eating is something you monitor and you notice a change during periods of high heat, make a mental note and track if this shifts back to normal limits when it’s cooler. Also make an effort to reach for balanced meals that will help your body replenish the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly.
Health
While most people are aware that the heat brings danger like heatstroke and dehydration, did you know that shifts in the barometric pressure caused by big changes in temperature can trigger headaches and migraines? If you or someone you love is noticing an increase in the number of headaches or migraines they experience don’t panic, it may be your highly attuned body responding to subtle shifts in the environment. It may be handy to make an emergency headache/migraine kit that you or a support person can easily access on your behalf during higher temperature days – this might include water/water bottle, migraine medication, pain medication, sunglasses to help with the light sensitivity, cold or warm packs/compress, earplugs to help with sound sensitivity, anti-nausea meds, and any other tools you have found helpful in managing your migraines/headaches on the go.
Mental Health
The heat can also impact our mental and emotional well being, and how we interact with others. You might notice that when the temperature rises and we become uncomfortable due to the heat that you or a loved one might struggle and seem more irritable, have a lower frustration tolerance, become more easily stressed and overstimulated, or have difficulty focusing and concentrating. One thing we can do is practice showing ourselves and our loved ones a little grace, understanding and compassion and support them or ourselves in reducing the impacts of the heat to support our ability to self regulate. This can include things like hydrating, finding a shady space to cool off if we’re outside, and eating balanced meals to fuel our body so it has the proper nutrients it needs as it works overtime to cool our bodies.
In closing, though we often forget that our bodies are impacted by the environments in which we reside and the changes that occur within them, like temperature, if we practice a little mindfulness and take a proactive approach we can reduce the degree to which we are affected and reduce our sense of worry about why our bodies are behaving differently.
With warm regards,
Megan Bell, LMFT # 114303
Thrive Therapy & Counseling
2131 Capitol Ave, Suite 306
Sacramento, CA, 95816