Harmattan: Why Do We Sleep More?

Dusty Harmattan

My lips are so dry and I seem to be having some difficulty in breathing!! Visibility could be lower than 200-meters while driving, most surfaces have different layers of dust particles (depending on how often you disturb these layers. My closest friend has bleeding lips, this is now a yearly ritual for him, for which he is least bothered. Sleep should be an uncomfortable act considering the aforementioned feature in harmattan period.

By observation, you would notice that most people within this time then to 'less active'. Some have said that since harmattan comes with a dusty wind (flowing from the north-eastern region of the Sahara desert), they feel dirty and irritable. So, they would rather remain in-doors or in areas where there is minimum contact with harmattan. While this may be part of the reason, I believe there is more to it.

Harmattan is usually accompanied by a cold, dusty wind. Humidity within this time is low, so sweating process is very minimal. These features combined simulate what happens to the body in the night. The brain reads all this and there is the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, that keep the body less active and more inclined to seek refuge in sleep.

Remember the Bear that hibernates in the cold winter period? It is something similar!!
Sleep comes, not because you did not sleep well the previous night, but the predisposing factors are right for sleeping. You feel like staying in-doors, not because of the chilly nature of the day alone, but because of other equally important factors as mentioned above.

So when next you notice that you seem to be taking too many, intermittent naps, chill with that understanding that it is simply nature at work!!!