Coming down with spring fever?
By Laura Becker, contributing writer
Posted on April 10, 2006

Along with the warmer weather and daylight-saving time, people everywhere are experiencing the seasonal bug commonly known as spring fever. Symptoms include (but are not limited to) the desire to sleep all day, play or lie in the sun, daydream or and even to get it on with that special someone.

Spring fever is a completely normal response to the season, and recent studies are claiming that the cause of spring fever is human’s increased exposure to light. The pineal gland, located in the center of the brain, produces the hormone melatonin, which in humans controls the desire to sleep. The pineal gland produces less melatonin when exposed to light, causing humans to feel drowsier in the spring. Serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, often increases in spring, causing a shift in hormonal levels and mood swings.

Spring fever can be remedied by following these steps. If possible, sleep for eight hours at night and avoid taking naps during the day. Start the morning with a glass of orange juice or water instead of an energy drink. When walking around campus, focus on the weather and nature instead of any stressful issues.

Many JMU students catch spring fever at this point during the semester and have to pay the price.

“I put off all my schoolwork too long and now I can’t go outside,” junior Alan Sheriff said. “I just deal with it. I played too much earlier, you have to do the work at some point.”

Sheriff notes that if students procrastinate continuously, they won’t be able to afford to daydream and sleep often.  

Another tip to avoid falling behind is to plan schoolwork around the afternoon in order to have some “play” time outside. Skip running the track at UREC and jog the stadium, take a walk in the arboretum, or start up a tennis match or ultimate Frisbee game instead. Read for classes outside in a secluded area that will allow you to enjoy the weather without being distracted. If a nap is unavoidable, take a towel outside and sleep under the sun (with sunscreen on). If the need to get away takes over, plan a weekend trip to the beach or go camping before school ends.

Many students find they get more tired and lethargic as the temperatures begins to rise, a sure symptom of spring fever.

“I’ve definitely been affected by spring fever, especially when the weather got warmer,” freshman Jesika Hayes said. “I tend to want to sleep a lot or go outside, which distracts me from doing the work I know I have to do. I try to take shorter fifteen to twenty-minute naps, rather than two-hour naps. I think it’s important not to shut yourself inside studying all day long when the weather is so beautiful. Take some of your work outside.”

Spring fever may be unavoidable, but appreciating the warmer weather and making a point to enjoy it each day will eventually smooth out any leftover winter blues. As it says in the song “Dreamer” by the band Lovin’ Spoonful, “It’s one of those days for taking a walk outside/ I’m blowing the day to take a walk in the sun.”