As summer arrives in Thailand, the common warning we often hear is about the life-threatening heatstroke. But have you noticed in extremely hot weather why we sometimes feel sleepless, irritable, and restless without clear reasons?
Some might think it's just in their head, but medically and psychologically, these feelings are bodily and brain responses to excessive heat and sunlight. Although not seasonal affective disorder, extreme heat can damage our mental state more than expected.
We might be familiar with wintertime depression causing people in cold cities to feel low, wanting to stay in bed all day and crave sweets to brighten their mood even on gloomy days.
However, summer's impact is quite the opposite. At night, people may suffer from difficulty sleeping, restlessness, frequent awakenings, or light sleep. During the day, feelings of agitation, distractibility, and unexplained anxiety are common.
Additionally, some experience appetite loss and weight reduction, unlike winter when the body tends to store fat and gain weight. Irritability, lowered patience, and readiness to get annoyed over small things are also typical.
These symptoms arise from physiological mechanisms. Normally, the pineal gland secretes melatonin when ambient light decreases, signaling the body that it's time to rest. But in summer, bright sunlight and longer days suppress melatonin secretion, disrupting the internal clock and confusing the brain about when to rest, leading to insomnia.
Moreover, medically it's found that the body needs to reduce core temperature by about 1-2 degrees Celsius to enter deep sleep. The hot and humid Thai nights hinder heat dissipation, causing frequent awakenings. Without full brain rest, neurotransmitters controlling emotions malfunction.
Finally, the body interprets extreme heat as a physical stressor, activating the sympathetic nervous system or 'fight or flight' mechanism. This causes excess cortisol release, raising heart rate, making us feel anxious, short-breathed, and constantly threatened.
Knowing how the body works enables us to adjust lifestyle to soothe the mind from heat. This includes making bedrooms as cool and dark as possible, using blackout curtains to trick the brain into releasing melatonin fully, and the simple trick of taking a cold shower before bed to lower core temperature and prepare for deep sleep.
During the day, sensory management can help—wearing sunglasses to protect eyes from UV rays and reducing bright light exposure to calm brain overstimulation, helping us feel more relaxed.
Also, adjusting routines by avoiding heavy exercise during peak heat prevents cortisol spikes. Instead, opt for light exercise in the early morning or evening when it's cooler.
If irritability, restlessness, or insomnia start affecting relationships and daily life, don't assume it will end after summer. It is advisable to consult psychiatrists or psychologists for advice or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is an effective solution.
As the weather changes, so do our emotions. During this scorching Thai sun that harms the skin, remember to check your inner temperature. Understanding your body's mechanisms helps you be gentler with yourself and others to face days when the weather feels overwhelmingly unfriendly.
ReferencesPsychology Today,ABC6
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