Why is My Period Worse in the Summer?
Oh, summer season. Days spent by the pool or maybe up at the lake, sun exposure, and some swimming. And while we’ve given you tips for how to enjoy any beach day while on your period, the truth is that many of us just plain don’t feel like it. There’s something about being on your period during summer that just feels worse. But why is that? Grab some SPF as we shine some light on why periods feel worse in summer.
Does Hot Weather Make Period Symptoms Worse?
There are a few reasons why your period may feel worse in the summer, but it’s not strictly the heat. Let’s get into them!
During the summer period can be more paintfull than usual
Heat, Hydration & Bloating
Fluctuations in your hormones at the start of your cycle can make you more prone to dehydration. When that happens, your body tries to hold on to the water it does have, which causes bloating. And if that isn’t bad enough, lack of hydration—made worse by the heat—can make you feel lightheaded or even get headaches. Not exactly a recipe for summer fun! Thankfully, if you keep your water bottle topped up can you mitigate a lot of these effects.
Warm Weather and Restless Summer Nights
As much as we idealize long summer evenings in our minds, we can’t deny that more light and hotter temperatures aren’t ideal for getting a good night’s rest. Your hormone fluctuations are also to blame for increased levels of fatigue. And, of course, intense cramps can make it harder to sleep.
Because there is such a range of issues that can cause tiredness on your period, it’ll take a full arsenal of remedies. Take ibuprofen before bed or try these natural cramp remedies. Block out your windows and take a cool shower right before bed to try and beat the heat. These tips can also affect better sleeping:
- Hydration – drink enough water during the day! Drinking water will help you to have extra energy;
- Exercise! This is not a joke, exercise will calm your nervous system and make you feel relaxed;
- Well balanced diet. During summer period try to avoid sugary foods. Focus on fresh fruits which will help you, as well as drinking more water, to stay hydrated. Eat more vegetables, and less salty foods. This lead to less stress, less painful periods and more happiness and energy.
If you’re still finding yourself to be tired, just take it easy for the week!
Well balanced diet can help you easy the period pain
Vitamin D & Shorter Cycles
Whether you’re the type to obsessively track your period in an app or you go old school with a calendar, you may notice your period is slightly shorter in the summer. (Even people with regular periods can have their cycle vary in length by a day or two.) There is some research to suggest that Vitamin D affects the follicular phase of your cycle. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that we gain from both foods we eat and from the sun. The logic is that the more Vitamin D we get from the sun, the shorter our cycles are. Therefore, it can feel like you have your period (very slightly) more often during the summer months than in colder months
Making the Most of You Summer While You have Menstruation
No matter whether you feel like your period symptoms are worse in the summer or simply business as usual, we want you to have healthy and comfortable menstruation. Having extra cool showers and using internally-worn period protection like a menstrual cup may be just the ticket! Check our article on having a healthy period for more tips.
Lane Baumeister is an internationally-based Canadian writer with several years’ experience creating educational and entertaining articles that discuss intimate health and sexual well-being. When not waxing profound about menstruation, she devotes herself to enjoying extremely good food and equally bad movies.
