There are many possible causes, but you are probably oversleeping because of some combination of poor sleeping habits and/or some emotional issues.

Poor sleep means that you don’t get enough rest from your sleep, which makes it very difficult to wake up. Your sleep may be damaged by an interruption in breathing (Snoring & Sleep Apnea – see below) or by some other physical disorder.

However, It’s more likely that your sleep system has been damaged by a combination of bad habits or conditions, such as shift work, bad nutrition or a noisy environment, and also by psychological issues, such as stress and depression

No matter what causes it, or had caused it in the past, oversleeping soon enough becomes a strong habit by itself.
The causes and effects of oversleeping may be affecting each other in an ongoing cycle, as you may be experiencing yourself…

For example: You’re mildly depressed >> You oversleep >> You have no free time for yourself >> You get even more depressed and so on…

Sometimes, tiredness is the result of a treatable medical problem. The top three are depression, iron deficiencies and thyroid disease.

The thyroid is a gland that controls a person’s rate of metabolism, so if it is not functioning properly, tiredness can be a result. A simple blood test can check if the thyroid is functioning properly.

Sleep apnoea is another possible medical cause that can be definitively diagnosed only through overnight monitoring in a sleep lab. In sleep apnoea sufferers, the muscles holding open the airways become too relaxed and collapse. The person wakes, their muscles re-tension, and they continue breathing normally. The trouble is, the brief but frequent awakenings prevent them reaching the deep, restful phase of sleep. And often, the person falls asleep again so quickly, they have no memory of the event and, therefore, no idea why they feel so exhausted in the morning.

Some other suggested causes are (take a deep breath here because it’s a long list): stress, low oxygen levels in offices, poor diet, infection, parasites, hormonal changes, allergies, poor spinal adjustment, anaemia, boredom, weight problems, anxiety, heart valve problems, lupis, and environmental toxins.

However, it’s most likely that the cause is not one of these, but a combination of two or more. The problem is that tiredness is a symptom of just about every kind of illness. Even the common cold makes people feel lethargic.

When it is such a non-specific problem, it makes tracking down the culprit all the more difficult.

The spots you are noticing on your skin are a condition called vitiligo (vit-ill-eye-go). Vitiligo most commonly affects the hands and feet, or around the eyes, ears, and mouth, but may be found all over the body. Although it may simply develop on its own, sun damage can definitely contribute to it. A type of skin cell called melanocytes is primarily responsible for producing the pigment melanin, which gives people their color and shields them from sun damage. In vitiligo, however, the melanocytes become damaged and no longer produce any pigment, which is why the skin has white patches. This condition is mainly cosmetic in nature, and therefore harmless, and may be most easily prevented through the use of protective sunscreens. Because the disease leaves unpigmented patches on the skin, the darker the person is, the more noticeable the patches are.

The best place to start is with taking folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements while getting some sun exposure, as several studies have shown that this combination may often reverse the depigmentation associated with vitiligo with very few side effects. No matter how you choose to handle the white spots, be sure to keep in mind that those are patches of skin with absolutely no melanin to protect them from sun burn. Always use sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation, and consider using a high SPF 30+ minimum and pay close attention to covering and protecting those patches.

See our range of vitamins and superfoods and a good tip for facial sunspots is to use a SPF 30+ daily moisturiser which we sell in the salon from Ultraceuticals.

When the weather turns cold and your skin becomes dry and irritated, do you write it off as one of the chilling facts of winter? What you see in the mirror might be a treatable skin condition.

Winter wind and low humidity can exacerbate many skin problems which you may not be aware of in the warmer months because milder weather keeps them in check.

What can we easily incorporate into our daily routine?

• Cleanse with a light touch; scrubbing can cause further irritation.
• Keep shower times short; soaking robs skin of moisture.
• Wear mousturiser with SPF 30 every day. Ultracueticals have one of these which we sell.
• Forego products with fragrance and/or alcohol; look for those with “hypoallergenic” on the label.
• Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise!