8 Tips to Cope with Daylight Savings

Daylight savings time begins on Sunday morning (March 11th) at 2:00 AM. The change in time is a reminder that spring is right around the corner and the short winter days are behind us. While many of us appreciate the longer days the time change does come with the dreaded loss of sleep. This change in time can cause disruptions to our circadian rhythm (our body’s internal clock), creating a lack of sleep.   An hour may not seem that long but for many individuals the change can lead to fatigue, irritability, and may even trigger depression. Below are some tips to prepare your body for the change in time.

1:  Minimize sugar and caffeine consumption in the days leading up to the change in time. Especially avoiding caffeine and sugar four to six hours before bedtime.

2: Plan ahead, begin by going to bed 15-30 minutes earlier in the days leading up to the change in time.

3:  Avoid napping. This could only compound the difficulty of adjustment. 

4:  Exercise! Even 20 minutes of brisk walking can aide in good sleep quality. Just be sure to avoid exercising within two to three hours of your bedtime.

5:  Avoid alcohol late at night as it may cause nightmares and can prohibit you from getting quality sleep.

6:  Pay attention to lighting. Use bright lights in the morning upon waking and dim lights in the evening.  Especially avoid use of bright lights from technology an hour before bed.

7:  Stay in Saturday evening and plan to go to bed an hour earlier than usual.

8:  Avoid the temptation to sleep in on the weekends. It may seem like a good idea to “catch up on sleep” but this can interrupt our circadian rhythm causing restlessness the following night.