Does the winter weather affect students?
-Emma Brown

Winter Weather got you down? Feeling less motivated than usual? Harder to concentrate in class? You’re not getting lazy, I promise. It’s normal for individuals to feel more tired during the winter months, due to a biological, and psychological reason.

Our bodies follow something called a Circadian Rhythm. It’s a little like your daily routine, only scientific. It’s physical, mental, and behavioral changes you experience in the 24-hour cycle, like when you go to sleep, and when you’re hungry. These rhythms also influence your hormone release, which affects your mood.

Our Circadian Rhythms are heavily influenced by light, especially natural light. This explains why we know when to sleep, because of night time. During the winter months, it is darker than normal, and there is less daylight. Your body feels more tired, because you are driving to school in the morning, and it is still dark out.

There is a term in psychology for this called Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) otherwise known as seasonal depression, which follows a seasonal pattern. Although it is common in the winter months because of the reduced sunlight, individuals rarely experience it during the summer months instead.

So the next time you feel sluggish in class, remember that you are not lazy or slacking off, but rather you are just experiencing those winter months. So grab some hot chocolate, and cozy up with a good movie, and you should feel better.

Works Cited

1. “Circadian Rhythms | National Institute of General Medical Sciences.” National Institute of General Medical Sciences, 20 May 2025, https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms. Accessed 27 January 2026.

2. “Seasonal Affective Disorder - What is SAD?” SAMHSA, 24 April 2023, https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 27 January 2026.