LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Days are dark, and frigid and warm summer breezes are replaced with crisp winds and vivid orange hues, scarves and sweaters. It’s officially fall, a season characterized by unfortunate conditions like “fall fatigue,” or a sense of exhaustion during colder months.

Teenagers typically need eight to 10 hours of sleep during warm spring or summer months. However, the head of the sleep and chrono-medicine clinic at St. Hedwig Hospital in Germany recommends teenagers sleep an hour or two longer than average during cold months.

Unfortunately, many teenagers lack the time to sleep this long.

“I get three hours of sleep every night. I go to sleep at 1-2 a.m., and I get up at 6,” said Marina Lupisan, a junior at Los Alamitos High School.

This problem is often due to an excess of schoolwork.

“I spend about seven hours on homework and studying every night. Because of this workload, it’s difficult for me to get to sleep,” said sophomore Claire Claypool.

According to a Griffin Gazette poll, half of the 25 LAHS student respondents said that four to five hours of sleep is their average sleep schedule.

Many teenagers rarely sleep enough, and, as a result of fall fatigue, the effects of sleep deprivation are amplified during winter months.

“During winter months, the sun shines for less time than during the summer. This makes it harder for people to get up and can cause fatigue, which can lead to different problems like seasonal affective disorder, which affects mood,” said LAHS AP Psychology teacher Mr. Anderson.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or “seasonal depression,” is a depressive condition where the shorter days and less sunlight associated with winter and fall can mimic depression-like symptoms. Setting up a consistent sleep schedule without naps, not using your phone before bed and exercising throughout the day can help people sleep longer.

Hopefully, with these tips, teenagers can minimize the negative effects of fall fatigue.