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Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer and Course Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford

Tired, irritable and craving carbs? Why darker days affect our bodies and brains

As the days shorten, many people have fewer opportunities to spend time outdoors in natural daylight, which helps regulate our internal body clocks. kle555/Shutterstock

When the clocks go back in October, millions of Britons welcome an extra hour in bed. But by the evening, with darkness arriving before many people finish work, that small luxury may seem a distant memory.

As autumn turns into winter, you might feel unusually tired, struggle to concentrate, or crave carbohydrate-rich comfort foods. Getting out of bed becomes harder, while a night on the sofa seems more appealing than going out.

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