6 Very human facts about Springtime

Feeling restless, distracted, with increased sexual desire? You’ve got Spring fever: a physical and psychological reaction to the changing of the season.

Scientists suggest it’s down to our hormones affected by the increase in temperature, light and sudden influx of flesh on show.

The lighter months also kickstart our thyroids so our energy levels increase and our metabolism is boosted.

Sperm count reaches a climax during the early Spring months and also achieves it’s fastest swimming speed. However, according to NHS reports, it depends on your sperm count to begin with. 

Semen with normal sperm concentration performs best during Winter, whereas semen with low sperm concentration performs best in Spring and Autumn.  

Experts like Ferility Plus have found IVF treatment success rates to increase by 5% in the Spring months. Ovulation also occurs more frequently in the evening time during the Spring (as opposed to the mornings during Winter) which is the more popular time of day for copulation. 

And the foods which ripen during the Spring months (such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach, rhubarb and raspberries) are packed with reproduction-boosting antioxidants and nutrients. It certainly ties in with the idea of Spring denoting fertility, not least stemming from the Greek myth of Perspehone returning home to her mother Demeter: the goddess of plants and fertility.

Recent studies have shown that babies are more likely to be born premature if conceived in the Spring.  The reason? The National Academy of Sciences purported that the mother would be reaching their third trimester during January and February, when flu epidemics peak. 

Women who catch flu during this stage of pregnancy have a greater chance of a premature birth.  

Interestingly however, children reportedly grow more rapidly during the Spring months than any other time of year.

Although Spring is associated with new beginnings, fresh flowers and baby lambs, if you were born in Spring it may mean something a little more negative. According to an extensive social study, babies born at this time were found to be at higher risk of developing mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar, manic depression and anorexia.

Another study found that levels of suicide rates spike during late Spring months and not over Christmas as more commonly thought.

The most popular season to buy or sell your house is the Spring, according to Estate Agency reports. We are less likely to buy during the Winter in particular because of the drop in temperature and our focus on a ‘back to school’ mentality. 

Which unfortunately means that although there are more properties to choose from now, you may not be getting the best price.