As if getting a good night’s sleep isn’t already a struggle, daylight saving time kicks in this weekend. It starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday (March 9th), when we spring forward and lose an hour, and it lasts until November. While an hour may not seem like a lot of time, the change can significantly impact our sleep-wake cycle and potentially raise the risk of serious health conditions like heart attacks and stroke.
The time change can affect when we feel hungry, how tired we feel and even our concentration levels as a result of disruptions to the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which is basically our internal clock. Fortunately, there are some steps we can take this week to minimize the impact on our schedules and bodies.
Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, director of sleep medicine at NYY Grossman School of Medicine, recommends these tips to ease into daylight saving time.
- Make sure to get morning light - That bright morning light helps boost cortisol production, signaling that it’s time to rise and shine, boosting alertness and even setting us up for better sleep at night.
- Adjust your sleep schedule - Start getting used to the time change now by hitting the sack 15 to 20 minutes earlier and waking up 15 to 20 minutes earlier every day this week until Sunday.
- Maintain your bedtime rituals - Sticking to a consistent nighttime routine helps the body adjust to daylight saving time more smoothly. Healthy evening habits include:
- Avoiding caffeine and alcohol late in the day
- Stopping screen time an hour before bed
- Not exercising or eating two to three hours before bedtime
- Making sure you have a dark sleep environment
Source: NY Post
Scott's Thoughts:
- Well, at least our car clocks will be right again until November!
- I like having more daylight. The change doesn't bother me since I don't do early morning radio anymore.
- I think I have an internal "nocturnal" clock. I get sleepy about an hour after dark and I wake up when the sun comes up.