What is spring fever

Learn More About spring fever. Time Traveler for spring fever The first known use of spring fever was in See more words from the same year. Statistics for spring fever Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. English Language Learners Definition of spring fever. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Love words? Need even more definitions? Just between us: it's complicated. And it has been thought that our increased energy in the spring months is somehow linked to the decreased duration of melatonin production, due to shorter nights. Historically there have been more births in the spring. In the late 16th century birth rates typically spiked to 20 percent above the average in March—meaning the babies were conceived in June—but over the past years rates have flattened to about 10 percent above the average, according to research done by David Lam at the University of Michigan's Population Studies Center in Ann Arbor.

Cultural and social factors influence conception patterns but biology plays a strong role, as shown by peaks that are 20 percent above average during June—technically the tail end of spring—in the production of reproductive fuel: luteinizing hormone, which produces testosterone in men and triggers ovulation in women.

Research also shows that successful in vitro fertilization follows the same seasonal peaks as natural birth. The idea that melatonin triggers our mood change in the spring is "too convenient an explanation," Terman counters. No one knows the exact cause of SAD, Terman says, but there are distinct patterns of winter depression lifting in the spring. And the key for that rise in mood, he argues, is the earlier onset of morning light.

He has shown that there is more depression on the western edges of time zones in the U. Clearly, there are marked correlations between moods, behavior and the lengthening days of spring, but the precise cause for our renewed energy remains elusive. The evidence for spring fever remains largely anecdotal. But, just as SAD has proved sadly real, spring fever edges away from science fiction, even if it is not quite science fact. Already a subscriber? In addition to increasing physical health, a healthy and balanced diet encourages feelings of well-being.

Studies have shown a positive correlation between quality diets and better mental health outcomes. I encourage you to take time to explore ways to incorporate some of the seasonal fruits and vegetables into your diet. Many people only associate seasonal affective disorder with the winter months. The truth is people may experience symptoms and mood changes at any time of the year.

Many people may need to pursue counseling in addition to trying these tips. Media contact: Dee Dee Grays , Is spring fever real? Self-care tips for your mental health during the springtime.

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