--- description: It could be related to your sleep patterns. title: A Doctor Explains Why You're Always Cold image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5853085e04468fee/69888b7e3c16399f4d45c7af/always-cold-ice-cubes-health-doctor.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Doctor Explains Why You're Always Cold by [Dr. Roshini Raj / Health.com](/author/health-com/) ## Dr. Roshini Raj / Health.com Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 18, 2016 11:45 AM CUT  Ice cubes Ice cubesGetty Images by [Dr. Roshini Raj / Health.com](/author/health-com/) ## Dr. Roshini Raj / Health.com Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 18, 2016 11:45 AM CUT **_Q: I’m always cold, even when people around me aren’t. Why is that?_** For starters, women generally tend to feel colder than men because we conserve more heat around our vital organs, leaving the hands and feet chronically chilled. If you have relatively low body fat, you may feel colder than other people because you’re less insulated. Or you may [not be getting enough sleep](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20407230,00.html?xid=motto "undefined"); when you’re fatigued, your metabolism and circulation can slow down. [Dehydration](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20815262,00.html?xid=motto "undefined") is another possible cause: Water helps your body retain heat and release it more slowly to maintain a comfortable temperature—so drink up. **_Health.com_** **:** [_Best and Worst Foods for Sleep_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20628881,00.html?xid=motto "undefined") Other potential reasons for frequent shivering include low levels of iron or [vitamin B12](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20924065,00.html?xid=motto "undefined"), which play a role in your body’s ability to regulate temperature, or an underactive thyroid. Do you mostly freeze up in your hands and feet? It may be due to a circulation problem. Cardiovascular disease is one possible culprit, as is [Raynaud’s disease](http://news.health.com/2016/02/17/why-are-my-hands-always-cold/?xid=motto "undefined"), in which blood vessels in your extremities temporarily narrow when your body senses cold. **_Health.com_** **:** [_10 Reasons Why You Might Feel Cold All the Time_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20932713,00.html?xid=motto "undefined") If your chilliness is making you uncomfortable every day, it’s worth a visit to your doctor. She can determine whether there’s a simple fix—such as putting on a bit more muscle or [eating more iron-rich foods](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20970348,00.html?xid=motto "undefined")—or if it’s a sign of a health issue that needs treatment. Health’_s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine._ _This_[ _article_](http://news.health.com/2016/03/15/this-is-why-youre-always-freezing-according-to-a-doctor/ "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://Health.com "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4263351/always-cold/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4263351/always-cold/"},"headline":"A Doctor Explains Why You're Always Cold","datePublished":"2016-03-18T11:45:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:02:03.060Z","description":"It could be related to your sleep patterns","url":"https://time.com/4263351/always-cold/","keywords":["motto","cold","health","Vitamins"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5853085e04468fee/69888b7e3c16399f4d45c7af/always-cold-ice-cubes-health-doctor.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dr. Roshini Raj / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5853085e04468fee/69888b7e3c16399f4d45c7af/always-cold-ice-cubes-health-doctor.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"100377733","caption":"100377733","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4263351/always-cold/","name":"A Doctor Explains Why You're Always Cold"}}]}] ```