Do you have frhlingsmdigkeit? The springtime malady that could be making you tired and moody

If spring has sprung you into an emotional black hole, listen up.Germans have a word for the general sense of malaise that can, however ironically, accompany the start of a season known for rebirth and vitality. Frühlingsmüdigkeit — “springtime tiredness” or “springtime lethargy” — is a well-known phenomenon among German speakers who claim spring fever as we know it is a floral-shrouded myth. Instead, they argue, the emergence from winter is actually the sleepiest and least productive time of year.But scientists aren’t so sure.While several biologically legitimate factors could contribute to a feeling of fatigue in the warmer months — like longer and later exposure to sunlight, ever-worsening seasonal allergies and daylight saving time’s jarring impact on the circadian rhythm — researchers in Switzerland weren’t able to find a scientific basis for the cultural phenomenon.In a recent study of 418 adults, the authors found that almost half of the participants self-identified as having spring fatigue. While there were several anecdotal reports of the seasonal change, sleep quality and insomnia survey data collected over a year-long period remained consistent throughout the year, with no major seasonal or monthly variations. Speaking to the University of Basel, lead author Dr.Christine Blume, a researcher at the Center for Chronobiology of the University Psychiatric Clinics at the Swiss university, said that spring fatigue isn’t exactly a “genuine biological phenomenon.”But she’s sympathetic to the different factors, environmental and social, that might contribute to a feeling of extra exhaustion.“In spring, we may also feel that we need to be more active and take advantage of the good weather,” she said.

“If we can’t bring ourselves to do so, our expectations and our subjective energy level can be very different.” At least in her part of the world, frühjahrsmüdigkeit is “an explanation that is completely accepted in s...