IT’S dark by 5pm and you can’t leave the house without a coat. Winter is officially on its way. And with this gloomy change of the seasons brings the inevitable cold weather energy slumps.

Whether you’re trying to stay focused in a meeting or power through an extensive to-do list, everything is ten times harder when your energy flags. No one is full of beans from dusk till dawn — in fact, it’s very normal to have some ebbs and flows. But there are times when your fatigue and mood could indicate problems with your health or lifestyle.

Here, with the help of experts, we get to the bottom of your energy slump . . .

READ MORE ON HEALTH WAKING UP EXHAUSTED YOU’VE clocked eight hours yet you’re still exhausted when you wake up. Sound familiar? Although you’ve hit the ideal quantity of sleep , it might be wise to assess the quality of it. Rob Hobson, author of The Art of Sleeping and registered nutritionist at Healthspan, tells Sun on Sunday Health: “Conditions like sleep apnoea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome can stop you from reaching the deeper stages of sleep, leaving you feeling groggy.

“Sleep apnoea interrupts your breathing, so you wake up throughout the night, and is linked to obesity . If you think this might be you, speak to your GP . Most read in Health “RLS on the other hand could be a sign of iron deficiency.

” Supplements like Healthspan IronCare (£6.60 for 120 tablets) or Boots Iron 14mg (£1.70 for 60 tablets) could help.

Feeling tired in .