Many northern Canadians are feeling the need to retract and just sleep the winter away on these shortest days of the year, but they should resist the temptation.

People in Yellowknife will encounter daylight shorter than five hours on Wednesday. Whitehorse will experience a little more than five hours, while Iqaluit will have daylight a little shorter than five hours.

Igloolik, Inuvik, and other communities located north of the Arctic Circle have been experiencing 24-hour dimness for almost 30 days now. They expect to witness the sun in January.

Michel Murti from the Department of Health and Social Services of Northwest Territories said that the need to overwinter isn't merely superficial. It's partially biological and northern novices may feel the weariness more intensely.

"Maybe you feel heavier in the body, don't really feel like working out as much, all those things. Unfortunately those are all the good things you should be doing to keep yourself healthy," she clarified.

Murti explained that the changing exposure to sunlight can interact with chemicals in the body. With a little amount of serotonin and melatonin, a person's emotion and level of energy can collapse.

Eating bread can help. She said it could aid a little since foods rich in carbohydrates will discharge serotonin.

"And that does make you feel a little better, temporarily," she explained.

SAD or Seasonal affective disorder hits a million Canadians. An anti-social attitude and irritability are among the symptoms indicating that individuals are sinking into a state of depression.

"For other people it can be quite a bit more severe. Some people feel really down, depressed. They're not able to go to work, get out of bed. For those people they really need to be concerned about what's happening and getting in to see a health care provider," she added.

Health officials suggest getting out in the daylight as often as possible to gather adequate vitamin D. It isn't good to wait for next year's resolution before you decide to exercise.