When it comes to cold weather wellness, some things are just too good to be true. This week we're debunking a few more of our favorite winter fairy tales. Time to crawl out from under the covers and accept the cold, hard truth.
Can you get allergies in the winter?
For people with allergies, cold weather can seem like a reprieve. And it's true that most outdoor pollen fades when the temperature drops. Unfortunately, other allergens take over. In winter we spend more time indoors with the windows shut, breathing the same air, which means more exposure to indoor allergens: dust mites, pet dander, mold and cockroaches.
Reducing exposure can help: wash bedding in hot water, keep humidity in check to discourage mold and dust mites, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and keep pets out of the bedroom if dander bothers you. If symptoms persist, see your doctor or an allergist.
Do you need more sleep in the winter?
This one is true... sort of. Most of us feel more tired in winter, and when it's cold and dark outside, the urge to get into bed and never come out is real.
Cold weather itself doesn't make us more tired, but the light does. Light is the main signal that sets your body clock, and shorter days with later sunrises can shift when you feel sleepy and alert. That can make you feel as though you need far more sleep than in summer.
Your actual need doesn't change much with the seasons: sleep experts recommend 7 or more hours a night for adults all year. Keeping a consistent schedule and getting outside in daylight in the morning can help you feel more awake. If low mood comes with the winter fatigue, talk to your doctor. For more, read 15 reasons to go to bed right now.
Do you need sunscreen in the winter?
Yes. Sunscreen and summer are hard to separate in our minds, but UV doesn't care about the temperature. You wouldn't skip sunscreen on the beach, so take the same attitude to the slopes.
The original version of this myth-buster said Earth is closer to the sun in winter, so UV is stronger. Earth is in fact slightly closer to the sun in early January, but that isn't what drives UV. UV levels depend mainly on how high the sun is in the sky, which is why they're lower in a northern winter than in summer. Two things can still push your exposure up in winter: snow can reflect as much as 80% of UV radiation, so you get hit from above and below, and UV levels rise by roughly 10% with every 1,000 meters of altitude. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that UVB can damage skin year-round, especially at high altitude or on snow and ice.
Can you get enough vitamin D from winter sun?
Here's the flip side of weaker winter UV. Your skin makes vitamin D when UVB hits it, and in winter there often isn't enough UVB to do the job. A classic study found that winter sunlight in Boston produced no vitamin D in skin from November through February, and in Edmonton, Canada, that "vitamin D winter" ran from October through March.
That's why food and supplements matter more in the darker months. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 600 IU of vitamin D a day for most adults and 800 IU for adults over 70, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU a day. Our plant-based vitamin D3 provides 2,000 IU of organic, vegan D3 from lichen in one small tablet. If you take medication or have a health condition, check with your doctor before supplementing. Learn more in sources of vitamin D and how much vitamin D you need.
Missed the first round? Read part I of our cold weather myths.
