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As the weather gets colder, I feel myself 'shutting down' both physically and mentally. I just want to be warm and comfortable. I am sleeping 12 hours/night and even after I wake up I remain in the bed for an hour or two awake just relaxing and enjoying the warmth of the bed and the feel of the covers against my skin. I might add that I'm unemployed right now, so why the hell should I rush to get out of bed anyway? My life is so damn boring. I remain there awake but relaxing in bed until I absolutely cannot take it anymore, but I enjoy every minute of it. It is bliss. Then I get up and accomplish a few simple tasks and then lie on the sofa with my kitty on my chest purring and we snuggle and cuddle and stare into one another's eyes with love and adoration for half an hour or so. Then I force myself to drink a glass of milk or have a bowl of cereal although I have absolutely no appetite. I am going into hibernation mode. I just want to be warm and comfortable and to completely relax. It feels so good. Anyone else feel this way as fall slips into winter?

I feel this way every winter. I go in to full hibernation mode. I just want to stay in bed in the thick layers of blankets and pillows I've made for myself with the cats and dogs piled on top of me and snuggle. I hate the cold and am freezing all the time. I just want to be warm, safe, comfortable and relaxed.

I long for the sun and the warmth. When I have to get up I think about the moment I can get back in the bed at the end of the day and during the day I think several times of how I can't wait to get home and get back in bed in to my nest.

I desire this so much that I even have a pile of blankets and pillows in my car so that when it is warmer outside in the car than in this freezing house I go out there in the sun and nap in the car. In here I just sit in a ball in my chair shivering doing nothing, not even thinking as I am so absorbed in trying to stay warm. I just shut down unless I can get moving and do something like vacuum to warm myself up. Eating never crosses my mind.

Not having heat is hell.

It is funny that you brought this up as the weather is getting colder here and I was actually thinking about what I can do to not hibernate. So far, I got nothing.

I have a hard time with winter. I get so cold so easily and it actually hurts me. I have acute osteoarthritis throughout my entire body and the cold really does actually make me hurt.

I can't believe that I was born and raised in WI and cannot tolerate the winters anymore. Even though I am in TX, it gets cold here too. Not sub-zero but cold enough. for me. Shivering makes it hard to get out and take my walk. Time to dig out the long johns, I guess.

I always think "wouldn't it be nice if it were 75F all year round. But everyone would live there then". Just doesn't exist, I guess. Oh well.

I'm definitely going into hibernation and I need to nip it in the bud. I'm sleeping 11 to 12 hours each night and I am so lazy during the day that it is difficult to accomplish anything. Grrr.

Yes i feel similar to how you are feeling, this scares me, except i'm not sleep well and making up for sleep in the day time.

My hibernation mode has already began. Soon snow will be flying here and the temps at night r in the 20's and low 30's. The sweaters and warmer pance and coats r coming out of their habitant. Soon it will be cool enought to wear my peacoat. Did I forget to mention the boots? Yes, the boots will soon be worn upon my feet. How I will miss not being able to wear my usual shoes outdoors as the snow will bury them and I shall become drenched from melting snow. I find myself staying at home even more, the infrared heaters r on every now and then, but soon will be on at a consistent basis. My body is longing for more sun, but now the darkness just hovers so much earlier and at night it feels two hours later than it really is due to having turned the clocks back 1 hour last weekend. Soon I will have to dig out the snowblower and rid the driveway with its mountains of snow. Oh, how cold it is to do this. The snow just flies in my face from the wind and the snow being blown in various directions. Does this sound like I should never leave my bed.....I think not even though I have to endure this winter once again. I can only stay in bed for so long but have to admit that I will resort to it more than ever upon winter. I will probably snuggle back up in bed after I get my daughter to school and I return home. So all in all, I guess I'm going into hibernation mode.

I get pretty down when the snow comes too. There are times I will stay in bed for about 18 hours. It sucks but thats where I want to be.

Post edited by: Bangbang, at: 11/09/2011 11:02 AM

hibernation mode for me translates into starting to isolate wich is bad for me cause depresion sets in from there and ill stay that way for months at a time wont talk to no one or even leave my room if unchecked.

I've been in isolation mode on and off (more on) for the past year or so. I'm finally starting to want to be around others and going outside more, but a lot of days are tough for me.

I have SAD, but backwards, meaning I feel like this in the summer. I want to just sleep and hide. I hate the heat. This time of year I feel so much better, lose weight, and function better. My doc tells me I'm "weird" which cracks me up. I almost always have manic episodes early summer only.