Flat, tired and feeling fed up...maybe you've got winter wipeout?

With December just around the corner, we highlight the five most common reasons you might be struggling at the moment – with self-help and lifestyle tips on what to do about it

- BY EVA GIZOWSKA

Are you struggling to get up on these dark winter mornings? Perhaps, everything feels like an effort and all you really want to do is slump on the sofa? Longer nights, shorter days, grey skies and cold weather can make us all feel more tired and sluggish.

"It's not just nature that goes into hibernation," says Dr Nicky Keay, who specialises in endocrinology and is the author of Hormones, Health and Human Potential.

"A lot of people feel like slowing down, lying low and staying indoors at this time of year. We instinctively want to conserve energy, by resting more, going to bed earlier and getting up later. We don't feel as active or sociable."

But adapting to the slower-paced rhythms of winter shouldn't mean grinding to a halt.

"If you're more fatigued, washed out, lacking in energy, prone to catch every bug going, your mood is low, or you feel depressed, these are all signs that there may be something else going on," says Dr Keay. "There are all sorts of reasons you may be experiencing winter wipeout.

"Top of the list is the lack of sunlight, which can have a profound impact on our emotional and physical health. While you can't change the weather or the seasons, you can change what you do to keep yourself healthy during winter. Knowing that can help you to feel more empowered to take action."

WHAT'S CAUSING YOUR WINTER WIPEOUT?

POST VIRAL FATIGUE Your winter lurgy only lasted a week. Yet, weeks later you're still feeling shattered. What's going on?

"It's normal to feel tired and a bit washed out after you've had flu or an infection," says Dr Tom Jenkins, a GP. "But, if symptoms such as extreme tiredness, physical and mental exhaustion, brain fog, aches and pains, headaches and weakness continue to linger for weeks, or even months, this is known as post-viral fatigue (PVFS).