Shine OnCuddle up! Why we seek deeper love connections in the fall
Summer is over — and so are the interest in summer flings.
Well, at least according to one Germany scientist who suggests people crave deeper love connections as temperatures cool.
Chronobiologist Till Roenneberg, a professor at the Institute for Medical Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, studies how biological rhythms affect physiology and behaviour.
"The human organism follows the cycle of the seasons: growth, hormones, blood pressure, cutaneous perfusion, the immune system, sleep and body temperature all adjust accordingly," Business Insider reports.
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In the winter, people eat more and sleep more. In the spring, people worldwide experience increased health irritations and heightened feelings. In the summer, the heat contributes to more reckless, accident-prone behaviour. And in the autumn, colds and melancholy set in. Some even suffer from a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder when the days shorten and temperatures drop.
With the threat of depression setting in, Roenneberg suggests we seek love as a remedy. When it's cold outside, we want warmth and tenderness inside.
"Talking, tender caressing and lovemaking enable us to bypass the darkness of the soul that can overcome us due to the changes of climate fall brings with it. Love also brings feelings of comfort and hope. Perhaps that is why there are fewer suicides during the fall months than at any other time of year (most suicides take place in the spring, particularly on Mondays)," Roland Mischke writes for WorldCrunch.com.
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Dopamine levels are strong in the fall. Male testosterone levels peak in the fall. Female hormonal glands are the most active in the fall, too. From an evolutionary perspective, autumn conception allows for babies to be born in summer when Vitamin D is best available for strengthening bones and immune systems.
Perhaps also encouraging love connections: Cozy fall fashion — Who doesn't love a man in plaid? Do you crave deeper relationships and quality cuddle time in autumn?
