Overview
- The University of Basel and Inselspital Bern report in the Journal of Sleep Research that they found no empirical support for a spring-specific rise in sleepiness or exhaustion.
- In an online survey starting in April 2024, 418 participants were queried every six weeks for a year about sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue with no seasonal spike detected.
- The authors dismiss proposed physiological causes such as a post-winter melatonin surplus or temperature-related blood-pressure changes as chronobiologically implausible.
- About 47% of respondents said they experience the phenomenon, which the researchers link to labeling and nocebo effects as well as cognitive dissonance that can recast ordinary symptoms.
- Coverage distinguishes the unsupported concept from perceptible effects of clock changes and relays expert advice to seek daylight, stay physically active, prioritize sleep, and eat well.